Landschap met geknielde vrouw en putti 1722 - 1782

Simon Fokke, working in the Netherlands in the 18th century, created this print of a kneeling woman with putti. The scene might seem fanciful, but it speaks to very real social and intellectual currents of its time. This image reflects the cultural phenomenon of the Enlightenment. The woman could be interpreted as an allegory of enlightenment looking up to the sky. The putti read books, symbols of knowledge, which was becoming increasingly valued by the public. At the time, knowledge became more accessible to the masses as literacy rates increased. The anchor is a symbol of stability. Is Fokke perhaps suggesting that knowledge and stability should be the new societal goals? To truly understand this print, we would need to look at the history of Dutch printmaking and the patronage system that supported artists like Fokke, understanding how institutions helped shape artistic production.