Proserpine c. 17th century

Curator: Look at this dynamic etching, Proserpine, created around the 17th century by Stefano della Bella. The medium here is print. Editor: Immediately, I sense a feeling of drama and intensity, perhaps even violence, in this baroque artwork. There’s a raw energy in the way the artist has captured the movement of the figures. Curator: Absolutely, we see Pluto abducting Proserpine, a crucial scene from Roman mythology dealing with power dynamics, and, I dare say, a commentary on the lack of bodily autonomy afforded to women. The story is an integral part of the Western narrative. Editor: It is a very interesting take indeed, a lot can be seen through it. In terms of its enduring imagery, this scene and its visual depiction are very charged with potent symbols: The forceful capture, the chariot drawn by rearing horses, which appear demonic, seem like visual shorthand for dominance, while Proserpine symbolizes the beauty and vulnerability of Spring being dragged to the Underworld. It’s interesting that she is completely embraced in a dominating pose. Curator: Contextually, it is important to remember that artists then were deeply implicated in larger structures of patriarchal power. How many representations do we have of female subjugation disguised as classical scenes or harmless fantasies? I always have trouble distancing this awareness from my experience of viewing such an artwork. It reflects anxieties related to gendered identity. Editor: But the artist uses symbolism to explore deep aspects of human behavior; art, therefore, becomes a vessel to contain all of that. Isn't there also beauty in understanding these cultural roots and the human patterns of understanding the world around them? In the end, aren't we, like Proserpine, subjects to something beyond our control, if only time and fate? Curator: Perhaps. And maybe our interpretations change depending on the historical moment. I guess what strikes me is that maybe by talking about these narratives in their own context we open a new dialogue, an awareness. We give viewers today the critical tools to form their own understanding of an old piece. Editor: Exactly. Perhaps this image functions, paradoxically, as a visual portal, carrying collective, cross-generational human dreams. A perfect point to reflect further about a very ancient matter that we made new again with this brief reflection.