Onderboezem met variant voor rechterhelft c. 1675 - 1686

This is Cornelis Danckerts' "Onderboezem met variant voor rechterhelft," an undated design print which now resides in the Rijksmuseum. Danckerts was part of a prolific family of printmakers, booksellers, and publishers in Amsterdam, deeply embedded in the economic and cultural milieu of the Dutch Golden Age. The print depicts a chimneypiece design, split down the middle to present two variations. On the right, the figures are cherubic and classically inspired; on the left, we find more elaborate ornamentation. This juxtaposition speaks to the shifting tastes of the 17th century, caught between classical ideals and a burgeoning baroque aesthetic. More broadly, the design encapsulates the domestic aspirations of the rising merchant class. These fireplaces weren't merely functional; they were statements of wealth and taste. A design like this allowed patrons to imagine themselves within a larger narrative of elegance and sophistication, shaping their identities through carefully curated domestic spaces.