Flora in een tuin 1754 - 1755

Simon Fokke made this engraving, “Flora in een tuin”, or “Flora in a garden” in 1733. This print is a fine example of the kind of allegorical imagery popular in the Dutch Republic during the 18th century. The figure of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, sits prominently in the foreground. She is surrounded by cherubic figures and lush vegetation, symbols of fertility and abundance. In the upper left, a figure holds a scroll, perhaps representing knowledge or patronage. The garden setting, with its controlled layout, reflects the Dutch appreciation for order and prosperity. Engravings like this served as visual emblems of Dutch identity, projecting an image of a cultured and flourishing society. To fully understand this image, we can look to sources such as emblem books, garden design manuals, and even economic treatises. These resources would reveal the subtle ways in which images like this reinforced social values and power structures of the time.