Philosophy Enthroned 1534 - 1562

Curator: Here we have "Philosophy Enthroned," a beautiful, slightly kooky engraving from sometime between 1534 and 1562, by Virgil Solis. It's part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. What leaps out at you? Editor: First impression? Delightfully crowded! It’s got this sort of ornamented queen presiding in the center. I wonder about the material conditions for making prints like this—what would it have been used for? Curator: Well, the detail suggests it was meant for close looking, perhaps for scholarly study or even as a visual aid in philosophical discussions. Notice how Philosophy, quite literally crowned, is encircled by vignettes and Latin script, like a textual embrace. Editor: Text literally *embracing* the image! I see this connection. There is text placed at the margins describing the qualities of earth, air, fire, and water—all framing an enthroned Philosophy. It really elevates printmaking. Curator: It's playful and serious, no? Virgil Solis takes this somewhat heady concept—the enthronement of Philosophy—and makes it into something tangible, almost celebratory. The garland, the cherubs… there’s joy here. Editor: I am drawn to the portraits around the garland, though—are those intended to represent real people, like famous philosophers? What was the cultural context? This object looks hand-colored, so that leads me to think each unique product might have represented the tastes and budget of different purchasers. Curator: Quite possibly! Solis positions figures such as Plato in medallions as well as labels that assign qualities like "Melancholy," aligning people with natural forces to reinforce Philosophy's supreme dominion. It is both an aesthetic object and a container of philosophical and natural information. Editor: You’re right! And I am starting to feel that Solis and Philosophy share this playful seriousness. It is as though philosophy is a discipline to be approached with play as well as hard work. That’s a rather liberating idea. Curator: Absolutely, perhaps Solis means for us to approach it that way, by drawing back the veil and embracing the joy and rigor found within the pursuit of wisdom. Editor: Thinking about it more, that attitude might be embedded in the way that Solis used an everyday technology to convey intellectual mastery. It elevates not only philosophy, but engraving, too.