Vaas met Diana en Cupido in ovaal after 1703

This is an engraving of a vase with Diana and Cupido in oval, made by an anonymous artist. The cultural context of the work lies in the European fascination with classical mythology during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, and Cupid, the god of love, were popular subjects in art and literature. In the 17th and 18th centuries, engravings like this played a crucial role in disseminating artistic ideas. The image acts as a form of cultural capital, displaying knowledge and appreciation of classical art. This vase comes to us through the institution of the museum, where it is preserved, studied, and presented to the public. By researching period inventories, estate sales, and other documentation, we can reconstruct the social networks through which art objects like this vase circulated, and gain insight into the ways art played a role in the lives of people in the past.