Hoekcartouche met vrouwenmasker en putto 1590

This anonymous print presents a corner cartouche featuring a woman's mask and putto. Produced without a known author during a time when printed images were increasingly accessible, this work exists within a broader context of knowledge dissemination. Consider the female figure. In the absence of a known artist, how might we imagine her presence, her perspective, her voice? Representations of women during this period were often filtered through male perspectives. The inclusion of a putto, a symbol often associated with innocence, adds another layer to the composition. The Latin inscription invites us to consider the utility, necessity, and beauty of the depicted location. But what does it mean to create a representation of a place? What is included and what is left out? This cartouche offers a window into the past, prompting us to consider the social and cultural values that shaped its creation and reception.