Pictura 1670 - 1724

Jacob Gole created this print titled ‘Pictura’ around 1660-1737. It is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. The print is an allegory of painting, representing both the artist and the art, challenging the male-dominated art world of the time. Here we have a fashionable woman, elegantly dressed, seated with a palette in hand, poised as if ready to paint. She isn't just a passive model, but an active creator. Beside her, an easel displays a portrait, suggesting the layers of representation involved in art. Gole gives the allegory a contemporary, fashionable spin. The artist seems to ask: can art breathe life into the motionless? "Kan ik die Teekning een bewegend lichaam geven." This question speaks to the emotional and intellectual labor of artistic creation. ‘Pictura’ is more than just an image; it reflects the shifting roles and identities within the cultural landscape of the 17th and 18th centuries.