Schilderkunst wordt door Vader Tijd naar de Volmaaktheid gebracht 1713 - 1775

Louis Fabritius Dubourg created this print, in which Father Time brings Painting to Perfection. In this allegorical scene, we observe the scales of Justice, a traditional symbol of balance and fairness, held by a seated female figure, symbolizing Painting, on what looks to be a throne. The figure of Time, bearing his scythe, leads the personification of art towards perfection. A gesture often found across epochs is the guiding hand, which we also see, for example, in classical depictions of Hermes guiding souls, or in religious contexts with angels leading figures. The scythe of Time, initially an agricultural tool for harvest, evolved into a symbol of mortality, seen across cultures. Here, it suggests the inevitable refinement that time brings to art. Just as we see shifts in artistic styles over time, a cultural and, at times, subconscious quest for betterment and the desire for transcendence are at play, suggesting that art's journey is perpetual, and its forms are ever evolving.