Printer's Mark of Enguilbert de Marnef, II, also Title-Page c. 16th century

Curator: This is the Printer's Mark of Enguilbert de Marnef, II, a title page, and though it's by an anonymous artist, it sings to me of a time when image and text danced closely together. Editor: It feels so formal, yet the central figure is surprisingly…human. What do you see in this piece that maybe I'm missing? Curator: It's a fascinating blend, isn't it? See how the figure seems to gesture both toward the fortified city and upward to that portrait? To me, it suggests the printer saw himself as both a guardian of knowledge and a conduit to the divine. What do you think? Editor: That's a really interesting point. It makes me consider the power dynamics in disseminating information back then. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. It’s amazing to think how much history these little marks carry within them.