Fontein met riviergod die een urn leeg laat lopen naast een standbeeld van een oude man c. 1725 - 1750

Gabriel Huquier made this print of a fountain with a river god around the 18th century. It’s a formal garden scene, complete with sculpture, that speaks to the period's obsession with classical antiquity. We see a reclining river god pouring water from an urn, set in contrast to a standing, draped, male figure reminiscent of a Roman senator. Water flows from the urn into an elaborate tiered fountain. This composition reveals how wealthy Europeans understood and appropriated the classical world. The print itself is part of a larger visual culture. During this period, the print market enabled the circulation of architectural and design ideas, influencing gardens and interior design. Understanding this work requires knowledge of the period's social structures, the rise of garden design, and the print market. Historical research into estate inventories, design publications, and the social networks of artists and patrons can provide insights into the meaning of this work and others like it.