Moon ('Luna') 1581

Editor: This print is titled "Moon," or "Luna," by Adriaen Collaert. It's hard to put my finger on it, but there's something about the imagery that feels very performative. What can you tell me about its public function? Curator: It is, indeed, a complex performance of power. Consider the engraving's circulation in the late 16th century. What impact might this combination of classical allegory and natural abundance have on viewers who believed in astrology? Editor: I guess it would reinforce the idea of a divinely ordained social order, with the moon influencing earthly affairs. And it's interesting how "Nature" is depicted below, almost as a beneficiary of Luna's power. I hadn't thought about the print as an active agent in shaping beliefs! Curator: Precisely! The politics of imagery were very strategic at the time. Looking closely at art is like understanding propaganda.