Twee afhangende trofeeslingers 1672

Caspar Netscher made this drawing with graphite around 1660-1684. He was working in the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age, when the newly independent country was a major center for trade, science, and the arts. These garlands incorporate objects celebrating the arts, such as brushes, palette, musical instruments and books. They would have been part of a larger decorative scheme. But who was the audience for this type of imagery? Was Netscher working for private citizens, or the state? And what meaning would viewers have derived from them? To understand the social role of art in the Netherlands at this time, we need to explore the economic structures that supported it. We might also consider the influence of the Dutch Reformed Church on artistic patronage. By researching these questions, we can begin to understand how art reflected, and shaped, the values of its time.