Zeven Romeinse munten 1566

Hubert Goltzius made this print, titled ‘Seven Roman Coins,’ at an unknown date, using etching and engraving techniques. Its display here at the Rijksmuseum speaks to the enduring institutional fascination with antiquity. Goltzius was a Northern-Netherlandish humanist and antiquarian, who lived during the 16th century. His subject matter in this print embodies the values of the Renaissance, which involved a rediscovery of Classical antiquity. In this image, Goltzius arranges images of Roman coins in a pattern that mimics a family tree. This was a popular method of displaying the busts of Roman emperors, and demonstrates the early modern obsession with family lineage and social order. We can contextualize this image better by looking at examples of other family trees from the period. The museum itself can be seen as a tool for organizing historical artifacts in ways that reflect cultural values and social hierarchies.