Design after the monument of Leonardo Loredano 1625 - 1700

Editor: So, here we have “Design after the monument of Leonardo Loredano,” a 17th-century engraving by Antonio Francesco Luccini. The level of detail is astounding! I'm struck by its sheer architectural grandeur, even in two dimensions. What stands out to you? Curator: It does have an incredible level of ornamentation for an engraving! The crosshatching to create light and shadow is dizzying, like staring at the sun. Do you think that the intent here was just archival documentation? I would guess it's a celebration of Venetian power, perhaps, distilled through the lens of Baroque flamboyance. Look at the figures; their drama! The monument's symmetry lends this sense of eternal grandeur, what do you think about the coat of arms? The family wanted everyone to know who paid for it. Editor: I hadn’t considered the power dynamic so explicitly. It's easy to get lost in the pretty lines and miss that it's a monument to wealth and lineage. Does the fact that it's a print change how we should interpret it? Curator: Good question! The print makes it portable, replicable, like propaganda that gets to be hung up in parlors of the cognoscenti. It loses the monument's aura but gains an audience that the actual structure never will. What do you think Luccini thought about that? Did he think of himself as spreading a meme? A vibe? I hope so. Editor: Wow, “meme” isn't a word I expected to hear describing 17th-century art! I'll never look at prints the same way. Thanks! Curator: Anytime! Never be afraid of art getting its claws out.