Rechthoekige cartouche met schaalstok en kruisornament 1572 - 1575

Editor: This print, "Rechthoekige cartouche met schaalstok en kruisornament" - or "Rectangular cartouche with scale bar and cross ornament" - is an etching made sometime between 1572 and 1575 by an anonymous artist. It has a somewhat technical feel, with those tiny numbers meticulously etched into the surface. What strikes you most about the imagery here? Curator: I'm drawn to the symbolic weight carried by what seems like a purely functional design. The "Milliaria Italica" inscription points to Roman mile markers, measures of distance and control. The cross ornament atop the cartouche immediately injects a religious, likely Catholic, element. Doesn’t that cross resemble those carried during the plague years? Editor: I hadn’t considered a plague connection, but it makes sense, given the time period. Curator: Yes, but consider how, culturally, these markers define not just physical space, but the reach and power of institutions - the Church, the state - all intertwined. And etched with incredible precision. Do you notice the geometric and the non-geometric details? Editor: I see what you mean; the clean lines of the cartouche contrasting with those swirling decorative elements on the sides creates tension. Is it trying to marry the modern with the old? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe trying to imbue what might seem purely practical and scientific - measurement, cartography - with layers of cultural meaning, of established authority, both earthly and divine. It invites reflection on the systems that shape our understanding of the world. And the relationship of symbols in our memory. What lasting symbols did we miss, I wonder. Editor: So, it's not just a measurement tool, but a statement about power and belief, meticulously rendered to leave an impact. It's fascinating to consider the messages embedded in everyday objects.