Trofee met muziekinstrumenten in eierlijst 1719

Hubert Quellinus created this print of musical instruments some time in the seventeenth century. At the time, Antwerp was a prominent artistic center in the Spanish Netherlands, and this print, now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, exemplifies the close ties between artistic production and civic institutions. The image is more than just a collection of instruments. In the 17th century, music was seen as a symbol of social harmony and order, and this print captures that cultural value through its allegorical representation. Quellinus makes use of visual codes to create meaning. The orderly arrangement of instruments, framed by the egg-and-dart border, suggests that the instruments are more than just objects. Prints like this were often commissioned by wealthy patrons or civic organizations as a sign of their cultural sophistication and awareness of the aesthetic values of the time. Art historians can use such works to understand the cultural values of the time by examining archival records and artistic treatises. In doing so, they shed light on the complex relationship between art and society.