Kariatiden en een wapenschild 1586

This print, made in Venice in 1586, is the title page to a practical manual on artillery. The image, whose maker is unknown to us, frames the contents of the book with classical motifs, such as the caryatids at left and right, who stand in for columns. But such features aren't merely decorative. This was a time when patronage from the aristocracy and the church was essential for artists, and classical motifs were seen as serious and high-minded. The book is dedicated to Don Carlo D'Aragona, Duke of Terranuova, and his family crest is proudly displayed at the bottom of the page. The very presence of this crest tells us about the social world in which art was made. As historians, we look at who commissioned an artwork and the messages they were trying to send. We look for the social conditions that made its creation possible. We visit libraries and archives to learn more about the patrons and artists. This helps us understand not only what the artwork shows, but also what it *tells* us about its own time.