Fortuna 1555

Curator: It has a really striking quality, don't you think? The lines are so meticulously rendered. It makes me wonder about the workshop where Heinrich Aldegrever produced this engraving, "Fortuna," around 1555. Editor: Definitely. It strikes me as powerful but unsettling. There’s this winged, nude figure – is it supposed to be feminine? – standing on a sphere with a distinctly cool expression. Curator: Aldegrever was part of a circle of artists interested in the dissemination of humanist ideas through printmaking. We see him actively engaged with classical and allegorical themes. Editor: It’s fascinating how gender roles and expectations influenced the interpretation of allegorical figures back then, and how that reflects in the present. The figure seems to balance traditionally masculine and feminine traits. Is that serpent she's holding meant to represent wisdom, maybe? It winds up her body so unnaturally. Curator: Serpents have various symbolic associations. It speaks to the intricate, labor-intensive process involved. Think about the design, the metal plate preparation, the controlled application of acid, the press... Each stage demands expertise. Editor: Precisely, and how this mode of image-making allowed for wider consumption, and subsequently the development of more widespread social norms and power structures. I’m interested in that goblet she holds, what could that symbolize in relation to wealth and gender? Curator: Perhaps it's representative of power, control, or even the divine right, suggesting those granted access hold a certain status within their communities? Considering its materials and the context of its making—the labor of mining the ore, fashioning it, its exchange as a commodity... Editor: I appreciate you situating it in that larger socioeconomic context. Analyzing Fortuna forces us to engage with issues of power and identity which resonate even now. The fact that we can continue to examine its multifaceted meanings after so long demonstrates the timeless quality of this print. Curator: Indeed, contemplating it in this way reveals so much about the world of Aldegrever and beyond, allowing for an enhanced, historical understanding of Fortuna.