Aurora op een stijdwagen after 1656

This is a print of Aurora on a chariot, made by an anonymous artist. This image likely circulated in the Netherlands, a Protestant nation in which traditional religions were being questioned. The image references classical mythology, in which Aurora is the goddess of dawn, but this mythological symbol has now been stripped of its religious significance and is repurposed as a secular representation of the natural world. The institutional history of art and its relationship to power also becomes clear when we consider that this image of a nude woman was probably intended for a male audience. Does this reveal the male gaze in Dutch art? By examining the artwork, studying Dutch history and culture, and exploring the resources in museums and libraries, we can start to understand the complex social and institutional conditions that shape art.