Grotesk ornament met Mercurius in het midden 1624 - 1679

Editor: This drawing is titled "Grotesk ornament met Mercurius in het midden," and it dates back to sometime between 1624 and 1679. It's an anonymous piece, done in ink using engraving, and it resides here at the Rijksmuseum. It looks almost like a symmetrical sampler. I'm drawn to the figure of Mercury, of course, but all those ornamental details make it really dense. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's fascinating how you point out that "sampler" quality, isn’t it? Ornament like this didn't exist in a vacuum. Consider the social context of the Baroque era: it's a period of immense religious and political upheaval. Ornament served a very specific purpose; to legitimize power. Who, then, gets to decide what is beautiful, and for what ends? Notice how Mercury, usually a symbol of commerce and communication, is literally framed. How does this relate to what power truly communicates? Editor: That's interesting, that framing really changes how I see him. Is he really "free" if he's confined to this little tableau? I was so busy focusing on identifying him, I forgot to consider the broader implications. Curator: Exactly. The powerful employed artists to construct narratives of dominance, and the pervasive use of allegory and classical figures were key rhetorical tools. And remember that this image would likely have been disseminated as a print, influencing the design of everything from furniture to gardens for those who had access. Do you think those without access would understand those visual tools and coded symbols? Editor: Probably not! It's like it's designed to be exclusionary, even intimidating. This ornament then becomes an artifact of social stratification, perpetuating power dynamics through aesthetics. Thank you, I would have just looked at it aesthetically otherwise. Curator: And thank you! These kinds of dialogs remind us of how art becomes a language of power, spoken fluently by some, and remaining a mystery to others.