Schenkkan met twee slangen als handvat 1657

This print shows a design for a ewer, or water jug, made by Françoise Bouzonnet in France in the 17th century. The handle is formed by two intertwined snakes, their heads meeting above the vessel's opening. Bouzonnet was a female artist in a time when women had limited access to artistic training and professional opportunities. This print comes from a series dedicated to designs for goldsmiths. It suggests that she found a niche creating designs for luxury objects. The ewer is decorated with masks, garlands, and ribbons, showing the influence of classical art and the courtly style of Louis XIV. It is possible that prints like this were made in collaboration with male engravers, which was a common practice at the time. However, Bouzonnet may have also produced the print herself, which would make her a rare example of a woman who worked in printmaking. To understand an artist like Bouzonnet, we need to look at not only the art itself, but also the social and economic factors that shaped her career and the institutions that supported or constrained her.