Large Pendant, Hope Standing at Centre 1593

Daniel Mignot produced this print for a large pendant, featuring the figure of Hope, around 1600 in France. Mignot was one of many printmakers working at this time to create designs for luxury objects. Prints like these offered pattern books for goldsmiths to fashion into jewelry for wealthy patrons. We see here the figure of "Spes," or Hope, a classical personification intended to inspire confidence in the wearer. The pendant is replete with ornament and teeming with life: birds, dogs, and winged creatures. The image is a testament to the importance of adornment in courtly life. Aristocratic society was highly regulated, and fashion offered a means to communicate status and allegiance. Understanding the conventions of dress in the 17th century allows us to interpret the social function of images like these. Research into inventories, portraits, and sumptuary laws all help to illuminate the meaning of such artifacts. By studying these objects, we gain insight into the ways art shapes social life.