V Nutten sonder krassen 1614

Roemer Visscher made this engraving, "V Nutten sonder krassen," at the turn of the 17th century, as part of a book of emblems. Looking at the image and the accompanying text, we see a reference to Aesop's fable of the crow and the fox. It depicts a crow perched on a branch with a piece of cheese in its beak, while a fox stands below, flattering the crow to get it to sing and drop the cheese. The image comments on the social structures of its time by illustrating the dangers of vanity and the importance of being wary of flattery. Visscher’s work should be understood as a contribution to the culture of civic humanism in the Dutch Republic. It reflects the growing importance of visual culture in shaping social values. Scholars of emblem books have used close readings of both images and texts, together with historical research, to understand better the public role of art in early modern Europe. The interpretation of art is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was made.