Portret van Petrus Ramus 1549 - 1584

This small portrait of Petrus Ramus was made by an anonymous artist, using engraving techniques. Ramus was a French humanist intellectual. This image tells us a lot about the cultural values of the time. The Latin inscription around the oval portrait, which is ornamented with putti, makes a claim that hard work conquers all. Ramus is seen in profile, holding a book, a symbol of his intellectual life. The portrait probably served as the frontispiece to one of Ramus’s books. Ramus was a controversial figure. His challenge to Aristotelian philosophy, which dominated European universities, led to him being banned from teaching. As a Huguenot, Ramus was murdered during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, which was part of the French Wars of Religion. Understanding this image requires research into the religious and intellectual history of 16th-century France. By looking at the social context, we can begin to understand how art is always shaped by the world in which it is made.