Vier liggende ovalen met putti 1573 - 1610

This is ‘Four Lying Ovals with Putti’, made by Christoph Jamnitzer, a German artist, sometime between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It's an etching, which means the image was created by using acid to cut into a metal plate. We see four oval scenes, each featuring playful putti, those chubby, winged infants often found in Renaissance and Baroque art. They're interacting with water and marine creatures, reflecting a broader cultural fascination with classical mythology and the natural world. During this period, printmaking was becoming increasingly important. It allowed artists to disseminate their ideas and designs widely, which was crucial for shaping artistic trends and establishing their reputations. Prints like these would have been collected by fellow artists, craftsmen and patrons, who would have used them as source material. The art market and the culture of collecting are important to understanding artistic production in 16th and 17th century Europe. Examining inventories, letters, and other archival documents would allow one to better appreciate the role of art in early modern society.