Professor in de filosoof en zijn vrouw 1641

This engraving of a professor and his wife was made by Crispijn van de Passe II, probably in the Netherlands, sometime in the first half of the 17th century. It is a critical commentary on social norms and the institution of marriage. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. On the left, we see the professor, focused on his books, an image of traditional wisdom and scholarly pursuits. On the right, the professor's wife is embraced by a younger man, a visual representation of infidelity. The text below each portrait reinforces the image's critique of marriage, and it suggests the wife only married the professor for money. This artwork challenges the conservative social structures of its time. Seventeenth-century Dutch society was deeply religious and family-oriented, and this print mocks those values. To understand this artwork better, we can examine the history of Dutch printmaking and the social history of marriage in the Netherlands. We might also investigate the artist's biography and the role that his family played in the contemporary print industry. Ultimately, the meaning of this artwork is contingent on its historical and institutional context.