Allegorie op de beeldhouwkunst en schilderkunst 1670

Gerard de Lairesse created this print titled, "Allegory of Sculpture and Painting" in the Netherlands. Prints like this one are full of social information. Here, De Lairesse depicts the arts as noble pursuits, personified by classical figures. Painting, with her palette and brush, crowns sculpture. Her helmet marks her wisdom and authority. Sculpture sits with her tools, mallet and chisel. The Latin inscription, "Piety forms, and wisdom perfects" tells us that these arts elevate society and individuals. In the 17th Century, institutions such as the Guild of Saint Luke played a key role in regulating artistic training and production. Artists looked to classical antiquity to emphasize the intellectual nature of art. To truly understand De Lairesse's print, we can consult guild records, artists’ biographies, and treatises on art theory. By understanding the context of this print, we gain insight into the social and institutional forces that shaped art of the Dutch Golden Age.