Plate 8: Ferdinand on horseback crossing the Alps; from Guillielmus Becanus's 'Serenissimi Principis Ferdinandi, Hispaniarum Infantis...' 1636

Curator: This is Plate 8 from "Serenissimi Principis Ferdinandi, Hispaniarum Infantis...", dating to 1636. It depicts Ferdinand on horseback crossing the Alps. Pieter de Jode II is credited with this engraving. Editor: Whoa, talk about an entrance! That horse practically levitates off the page. I can almost feel the drama. There's an operatic quality to this crossing, don't you think? The rendering style gives it so much depth. Curator: Precisely. Note the sharp contrast between the foreground and background figures. De Jode masterfully employs a dense network of lines to articulate form and shadow. Observe the interplay of light as it defines the horse's musculature and the folds in the riders clothing. Editor: Totally. The level of detail on the horse’s bridle and the soldier’s armor? Wild. It’s all hatching and cross-hatching, like a hyper-detailed fever dream. It almost looks computer-generated to the modern eye. The inscription adds a whole other layer... something about virtue having no path for envy? Curator: Exactly. "Invidia virtuti nulla est via"—Envy has no path to virtue. The text underscores the heroic virtue associated with Ferdinand's crossing. It's more than a historical record. Editor: Heroic! I'll say! It’s the kind of self-mythologizing you don't see so much anymore. It's definitely saying something, though. What's intriguing, though, is how small the central figure of Ferdinand looks against that rugged, unforgiving terrain. Are they celebrating the prince's courage or just making the mountains look taller? Curator: It invites both interpretations, actually. The vastness and intricate depiction of the landscape—consistent with Baroque sensibilities—diminishes Ferdinand, while simultaneously enhancing his bravery in confronting it. This duality is a key element of its lasting artistic power. Editor: And to think all that expression, all those textures and heroic boasts, rendered through such intricate line work. Makes me want to hike an Alp or two! Curator: Indeed. A testament to the potent intersection of technique and vision in historical representation.