Design for a Double Cartouche flanked by Satyrs (Frontispiece?) 1700 - 1800

This drawing of a design for a double cartouche flanked by satyrs was made with pen and brown ink and gray wash. Cartouches, or ornamental frames, were very popular in Europe, especially during the baroque era. Images like this one were often commissioned to frame family portraits or important symbols. These are visual codes that demonstrate wealth, taste, and social standing. The satyrs on either side of this drawing were figures from classical mythology, known for their revelry, that would have served as powerful cultural references to an educated elite. This is a study by an unknown artist working in a European tradition. The role of the historian is to place works like this in their social and institutional context. In order to understand this image better, we might research the traditions of wealthy families, religious institutions, or governmental organizations that would have commissioned art like this. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.