Embleem met allegorie op bouwkunst 1681 - 1737

This is an engraving by Dutch artist François van Bleyswijck, from a series of allegorical images. This one depicts the art of building, represented by a female figure, the personification of the art, standing in an archway. She holds a book, a set square and compasses, and she is framed by two putti, one of whom is carrying a plan for a building. The image, from the series ‘Zinnebeelden’, embodies the beauty and importance of the art of building, a theme that is underscored by the accompanying text. The image, now part of the Rijksmuseum collection, dates to between 1681 and 1737.