Titelblatt, oben das Motiv der arkadischen Hirten Poussins, unten rechts Mose 

Pieter Tanjé made this drawing of pen and brown ink in the mid-18th century. This is a preparatory design for an illustrated title page, contrasting Nicolas Poussin’s classical subject of Arcadian Shepherds above with the figure of Moses, lawgiver of the Old Testament, below. This pairing of pagan and Christian figures reflects the 18th-century Enlightenment interest in harmonizing classical aesthetics with religious tradition. The image engages with debates of the time around the place of religious and classical subjects in contemporary art. Tanjé may be self-consciously commenting on the institutional preference of academies for one or the other. Or, perhaps, he is subtly critiquing the rise of secular humanism in intellectual circles. Understanding this drawing fully requires delving into period writings, theological tracts, art academy records, and artistic biographies. The social and institutional contexts are crucial for interpreting the artistic choices made here.