ALLORA

Allora e Adesso:

Italian for “then and now.” This idea was sparked when the topic of female portraiture came about in my college art class. These paintings were of Renaissance women who needed to maintain themselves to the standard placed by men of this time. They were adorned with symbols of their husband’s families and were flaunted as if they were decor themselves. I was disgusted. Then, I thought to myself that this wasn’t just a moment of the past; this is something that is currently infesting modern lives.

This thought created a spiral of conversations, and we soon found similarities from the 14th century to specifically the 70s and on. The constraints on women, LGBTQ+ people, religion, race, etc. There are many moments in time that we look back on and think about how much pain and suffering occurred. We are currently living in moments that will be mourned and remembered. This issue comes to highlight the problems that were prominent in the Renaissance (then) and compares them to more modern themes (now).

There was so much beauty in the Renaissance. It was a time of rebirth. Culture, art and religion were the focal points. In more modern times, we see the celebration of culture but also the utter disrespect that is shown to multiple cultural groups. Religion is something that has been in discussion for quite a while. Religion provides hope and morals but also feeds into the idea of “who is right?” From the Crusades to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, religion has been used as a weapon.

Throughout this issue, you will see topics that are pulled from either the Renaissance and/or the 70s, and on. Please enjoy, and on behalf of the Snake Print team, thank you.