A Recontruction of the So-Called Temple of Serapidis 1690 - 1704

Jan Goeree’s “A Reconstruction of the So-Called Temple of Serapidis” was made in the Dutch Republic, sometime between 1685 and 1731, with pen, black ink, and gray wash on cream laid paper. The image depicts a temple said to be for the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis, though the inscription also mentions Sol, the Roman sun god. This drawing reflects the growth of historical studies in the Netherlands during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This was a time when educated society was fascinated by classical antiquity. Figures such as Isaac Newton, John Locke, and others were trying to write histories of the ancient world based on textual evidence, as well as on archaeological discoveries. This drawing, therefore, would have appealed to collectors who shared an interest in ancient religion and architecture. Itself a kind of interpretation, it allows us to consider how the past is always re-imagined in the present, influenced by contemporary values and assumptions. To understand the social life of this image, we can consult period books on classical history and archaeology, correspondence between collectors and scholars, and other resources.