Vlakdecoratie met grotesken 1607

Lucas Kilian created this Ornament with Grotesques sometime between 1579 and 1637 using etching. This print, now in the Rijksmuseum, reflects the cultural fascination with antiquity during the Northern Renaissance. Kilian was German, so we might see this image in terms of the Holy Roman Empire, that loose confederation of principalities with its own complex politics of imagery. The grotesque style itself, revived from ancient Roman decorations, was seen as playful but also potentially unsettling due to its combination of human, animal, and plant forms. The inclusion of hunting scenes with figures, bears, and deer speaks to aristocratic pastimes and the display of power over nature. The eagle at the center may be a reference to imperial power. To fully understand this image, we can research the social history of ornament, the role of printmaking in disseminating artistic styles, and the patronage networks that supported artists like Kilian. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.