Grammatica before 1582

Jacques de Gheyn created this drawing, Grammatica, using pen in brown and grey ink, heightened with white. The composition is strikingly organised within a defined architectural space and a sense of receding depth. The artwork presents a classical allegory, with its focus on a central female figure embodying grammar, surrounded by children in various states of learning. This emphasis is reinforced through the use of linear perspective drawing the eye into the scene. The lines become more detailed towards the front while getting fainter towards the background, which gives the painting a sense of depth. De Gheyn has used an impressive level of detail to depict drapery, facial expressions, and architectural elements. These details serve not only aesthetic purposes but also function as semiotic markers, signalling the importance of knowledge and culture. The drawing, therefore, becomes a structured field of meaning, inviting us to consider how such visual systems reinforce cultural values.