Allegorie op de planeet Venus 1742 - 1801

This allegorical print of the planet Venus was created by Georg Balthasar Probst, an artist active during the 18th century, a time defined by Enlightenment ideals and the Scientific Revolution. In this scene, Venus floats ethereally above a meticulously arranged garden filled with people. The print reflects a world that sought to classify and understand the cosmos, and, in the age of exploration, to dominate the earth. Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, is seen through the lens of 18th-century social hierarchies. Those in the garden seem to be members of the European elite. Yet, what is the experience of those people outside of the garden? What is the experience of people who are not part of this world? Probst invites us to reflect on who is included and excluded from the promise of love, beauty, and harmony.