Antieke buste van een Romeinse vrouw 1680

Etienne Baudet made this engraving of an ancient Roman bust in the 17th or early 18th century. The print medium and the subject matter tell us a lot about artistic and cultural values in France at that time. Prints like this one played a key role in the emergence of art history as a discipline. The image replicates a marble bust from the Roman era, likely made during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. France, like other European nations, was fascinated by the classical world. This print reflects a desire to study and emulate the art of antiquity. The original sculpture would have been available only to those who could visit the Tuileries Palace, where it was housed. The print, on the other hand, democratized access to the image, allowing people from afar to study Roman art and culture. To understand it better, we can consult inventories, collection catalogues, and other historical documents. With these resources, we can better understand how this image circulated and how it shaped attitudes toward classical antiquity.