Stadsgezicht met Domkerk te Utrecht en allegorie met Minerva en deugden 1728 - 1771

This print by François van Bleyswijck, presents an allegorical cityscape, rich with symbolic figures and structural complexity. The composition is neatly divided, with an urban scene of Utrecht framed by classical motifs. Note how the cool tones create a sense of detachment, almost as if viewing a tableau. Beneath the cityscape we see personifications of virtues alongside classical busts. The figures invite us to decode the artwork’s layered meanings. The visual elements of balance and symmetry, typical of its era, suggest an ordered worldview, while also indicating how power and knowledge are represented through art. Consider the ways in which this print encapsulates the period’s intellectual climate, intertwining civic pride with classical ideals. The artwork stands as a complex intersection of visual representation and cultural encoding, offering insight into its world.