Canto VI. The Second Sphere: Mercury / The Seekers of Honor; Justinian c. 15th century

Curator: I'm struck by how alive this feels, even though it's an anonymous engraving, "Canto VI. The Second Sphere: Mercury / The Seekers of Honor; Justinian," from an edition of Dante's *Paradiso*. There's such movement in the figures! Editor: Indeed. We see Justinian, the Byzantine emperor, a key figure in legal history, presented here as ascending. It's interesting to consider how this image, tied to Dante's vision of paradise, situates earthly power and ambition within a divine framework. Curator: The tiny figures beneath, scrambling towards Roma, seem so desperate, almost comical, in their pursuit of honor. And Justinian floats above, serene, bathed in stars. There's a beautiful tension. Editor: That tension speaks volumes about the era in which this engraving was made. It's a visual commentary on the aspirations, the anxieties, and the ultimate futility of earthly achievements in the face of religious authority. Curator: It feels both hopeful and melancholic, doesn't it? Editor: A perfect reflection, perhaps, of the human condition then, and still now.