Titelpagina voor: J.-B. Rousseau, Les oeuvres, 1712 1712

Bernard Picart created this frontispiece for Volume II of Jean-Baptiste Rousseau’s collected works in 1712. The print, made in the Netherlands, reflects the period's fascination with allegory and symbolism, often used to communicate complex ideas. Consider the imagery. We see elements such as dragons and classical figures, alongside masks and instruments. These could allude to Rousseau's engagement with classical themes, performance, and perhaps the duality of human nature. But notice the prominence of animals in the work. The presence of the hunting dog and the wild boar evoke a sense of the aristocratic hunt, which was a common symbol of power and dominance in the 18th century. At the same time, are these images purely celebratory? Are they instead meant to evoke the more brutal aspects of class hierarchy? Perhaps these animals are a comment on the more savage dimensions of the human condition. This artwork invites us to consider how such symbols reinforce or perhaps critique societal structures and cultural values.