Amoretten schmücken in einer Nische eine Panstatue 

Jacob de Wit made this drawing called 'Amoretten schmücken in einer Nische eine Panstatue' using pen and brown ink with grey wash, heightened with white, over graphite. The artwork depicts cherubic figures adorning a statue of Pan within a niche. Made in the Netherlands, we can think about how the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century had created a culture in which classical themes and humanist values were often intertwined with local, domestic imagery. This drawing reflects that, appropriating classicism to suit local tastes. The cherubs, also called amoretti, are not simply decorative; in the context of the Dutch Republic, they might represent the values of domesticity and familial love that were central to the Dutch identity. The use of chiaroscuro emphasizes the theatricality of the scene. For those interested in exploring further, records from the Städel Museum, along with period literature, will provide greater insight into the institutional and cultural contexts in which de Wit operated.