Schijn bedriegt, 1720 1720

This etching from 1720, by an anonymous artist, is a striking example of early 18th-century Dutch printmaking. The composition is divided into two distinct parts: an elaborate scene above and text below, creating a visual and textual dialogue. The scene unfolds within an ornate frame, depicting figures engaged in theatrical gestures, their expressions heightened and dramatic. The artist uses light and shadow to create depth and draw the eye to the center of the action. The overall effect is one of dynamism and artifice, which ties into the artwork's themes. The text forms a structural base for the image, suggesting a narrative or moral commentary. The combination of image and text invites the viewer to decode the underlying message, prompting questions about the relationship between appearance and reality, performance and truth. This play between the visual and the textual, the staged and the real, underscores the etching's engagement with broader cultural and philosophical discourses on deception and illusion.