Faam blazend op een bazuin 1836 - 1912

Isaac Weissenbruch made this drawing of Fame blowing a trumpet, but we don't know exactly when. The image encapsulates a set of traditional artistic and social values. Weissenbruch was a Dutch painter associated with the Hague School, a group that embraced realism, depicting scenes of everyday life and landscapes en plein air. Here, however, he gives us a classical allegory. Fame, a winged figure borrowed from ancient Greek and Roman art, announces important events. Trumpets and flying allegorical figures were conventional ways of glorifying historical or political events. In the 19th century, art academies taught students that these methods were appropriate for ‘high art,’ conveying noble ideals. But as artists experimented with new subjects and styles, the value of these traditions came into question. Art historians consult exhibition reviews, artists' letters, and other documents to understand how artistic values change over time, and how individual artists position themselves with respect to those changes.