Naakte man met schild en wapen in een niche 1610 - 1640

Antoine Jacquard made this print, "Naked man with shield and weapon in a niche," in the mid-17th century. It depicts a series of male figures, nude and armed, each posed within an architectural niche. The image creates meaning through its use of classical motifs. Jacquard employs the visual codes of antiquity—the heroic nude, the architectural setting—to evoke a sense of grandeur and timelessness. Made during a period of intense artistic and intellectual exchange across Europe, this print reflects the era's fascination with classical antiquity and its values of heroism and civic virtue. However, it also comments on the social structures of its time. By placing these idealized figures within the formal constraints of the niche, Jacquard subtly critiques the institutions that uphold these values. Art historians consult period texts, such as military manuals or treatises on classical art, to better understand the cultural context and symbolic meanings embedded within the image. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.