De vier getijden van den dag. / De vier getijden des jaars. / De vier elementen 1806 - 1830

This undated print by Johan Noman in the Netherlands presents twelve scenes associated with the times of day, seasons, and classical elements. Each scene is paired with a short poem, characteristic of emblem books popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. In these, visual and textual elements combine to offer moral or philosophical lessons. Note the prominence of the printing press at the bottom of the image: the printing press was a relatively new technology at the time, and this emblem book can be seen as an example of how new technologies affect cultural production. As a historian, I am interested in the social structures of the 17th and 18th centuries, and I would need to learn more about the artist, the printer, the intended audience, and the institutional context in which this emblem book was created. I would also need to consider how this image might have challenged or reinforced existing social norms.