Retorica (Welsprekendheid) 1565

Editor: This is "Retorica (Welsprekendheid)", or Rhetoric, an engraving by Cornelis Cort from 1565. The scene is awash in these monochromatic, almost sepia tones. I am struck by the density of figures and symbols – it feels like I am looking at a tableau frozen in time, filled with allegory. What stories do you see unfolding in this print? Curator: Cort’s allegory is dense with visual symbols, tapping into a rich tradition of associating abstract concepts with personified figures and objects. Notice how Rhetoric, holding a caduceus, embodies persuasive language and eloquence. This symbol speaks volumes: commerce, negotiation, diplomacy - and medicine as the power to heal with words. What about the other figures? The elders with Rhetoric? How do they fit the meaning? Editor: They seem to be guiding him as he writes? Are they historical figures, maybe imparting knowledge? And the books to the side… are those specific philosophers and orators? Curator: Exactly. They are figures like Cicero, and those texts form the foundation upon which rhetorical skill is built. The gestures, too, are loaded with meaning. Observe Rhetoric’s posture and the intense gaze: do you think she embodies a power relationship or partnership in relation to the writers? Editor: I'd say there's definitely an assertion of power in how she directs. And, now I notice how she’s positioned higher than the writers! Is that the seat of power from which discourse springs? It’s so visually commanding. I hadn't initially recognized it. Curator: Indeed, these are the devices Mannerist artists deployed with flourish: asymmetry, artificial poses, exaggeration for expressive effect. Even the background with the orderly lines of people hints at her sphere of influence: public life shaped through effective speech. How does that external element influence your understanding? Editor: It does create a sense of reach and the application of her power… this really pulls together many disciplines and I never noticed the underlying connection to diplomacy. Curator: Exactly, it showcases the far reach and persuasive element that language may wield when it is shared!