Honored Maturity 1596

Editor: This is "Honored Maturity" by Crispijn de Passe, made sometime around the late 16th or early 17th century. It’s an engraving on a plate. It feels like it's about wealth and power, but there's a lot going on. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's a fascinating commentary on the intersection of power, gender, and wealth in the early modern period. Notice how the female figure crowns the man with laurel, while he busies himself with riches. What assumptions about labor and reward are at play here? Editor: So, it's not just about celebrating wealth, but questioning its source and who benefits? Curator: Precisely. Consider how the accumulation of wealth often relies on the marginalization or exploitation of others. This print invites us to critically examine those power dynamics. Editor: That definitely gives me a new perspective on the image. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Art gives us a lens to view and question the world.