Aantekening betreffende menselijke proporties 1629 - 1661

This is "Aantekening betreffende menselijke proporties," a script made by Jacob Willemsz. Delff II in the Netherlands sometime in the mid-17th century. The list describes an idealized standard of human beauty that was taking hold across Europe in this period. This was closely related to the rise of scientific rationalism in the Dutch Republic, which sought to understand the natural world through observation and calculation. It should be mentioned that the Dutch Golden Age was also a time of growing social stratification, as wealthy merchants and landowners sought to distinguish themselves from the lower classes. Manuals such as this helped to define the visual codes of social status. This kind of script may have been used in art academies, which were becoming increasingly important in shaping artistic taste. They codified the way artists were trained to see the human body, and therefore influenced the way art was produced and consumed. Understanding this image requires understanding its place within the social and institutional history of art. Looking at period textbooks and the records of art academies can tell us more about the public role of art at this time.