Gesprek tussen John Wilmot en Petrus Ramus 1746 - 1747

This engraving by Simon Fokke was made in the Netherlands, likely around 1746. It depicts a conversation between the Earl of Rochester and Petrus Ramus, both long dead by the time this image was made. The print relies on established visual codes to create meaning. Rochester, on the left, is dressed in the flamboyant style of the English court. Ramus, a French philosopher murdered in 1572, appears in academic robes. The skull and broken stone allude to mortality. Fokke made this print as an illustration. But for whom? The text on the stone suggests it was commissioned for a book about the Earl of Rochester. Understanding this image better involves exploring the contemporary interest in Rochester’s life and work, as well as the Dutch book trade. It also requires knowledge of the artistic conventions used to portray historical figures and ideas. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.