Schouw met kandelaar en een adelaar 1699 - 1726

This is a black ink print by an anonymous artist, showcasing a design for a mantelpiece with a candlestick and eagle, now held in the Rijksmuseum. The design features a complex, symmetrical composition, rich with ornamentation that suggests a moment of transition in styles. Observe the dense, rhythmic interplay of lines and textures. The eye is drawn to the central void of the fireplace, around which the ornamental details swirl. The candlestick and eagle are not just decorative; they introduce a semiotic layering. Eagles, traditionally symbols of power and vision, are juxtaposed with the domesticity of a candlestick, creating a tension between public display and private contemplation. The print destabilizes the distinction between art and design. Is it a blueprint, an artwork, or both? This ambiguity reflects the period’s shifting ideas about the role of art in everyday life and the dissolution of clear boundaries between artistic disciplines. This piece invites us to reconsider how design elements function not merely as aesthetic choices but as carriers of cultural meaning.