Jupiter wordt gevoed door Amalthea 1636 - 1647

Johann Friedrich Greuter created this engraving, "Jupiter wordt gevoed door Amalthea," at an unknown date. It depicts a scene steeped in classical mythology and resonates with the 17th-century fascination with allegory and symbolism. At the heart of the piece, we see the infant Jupiter being nourished by Amalthea. This subverts the traditional Madonna-like representation of the subject, focusing instead on the maternal care provided by a nymph. The presence of a satyr and the nurturing animals intertwine ideas of innocence, the wild, and the divine. The landscape and details, such as the eagle, serve as indicators of Jupiter's future dominion. Interestingly, the choice of an engraving as a medium speaks to the democratizing potential of art in Greuter’s time. Unlike unique paintings, engravings allowed for wider distribution of images and ideas. As such, it invited a broader audience to engage with classical narratives that often served to legitimize power structures. What does it mean to represent the future king of the gods as a suckling infant? Perhaps the engraving, like all art, allows us to meditate on power, care, and the stories we tell about those in charge.