The Poet Virgil in a Basket 1525

Lucas van Leyden created this engraving, “The Poet Virgil in a Basket,” in 1525. Here we see a scene from a popular medieval legend, where Virgil, the famed Roman poet, is tricked into being hoisted up in a basket as a prank. This print speaks volumes about the changing social status of artists and intellectuals during the Northern Renaissance. Virgil, once revered, is now the butt of a joke, a reflection perhaps of the growing secularism and skepticism towards classical authority in the 16th century. The architecture and clothing styles are distinctly Northern European, updating the classical story to van Leyden’s contemporary setting, a move that democratized art and allowed for the development of unique national styles. To truly understand this print, we might delve into the printing industry of the time, as the artist both designed and published his own prints. We could also explore the history of classical education in Northern Europe. Ultimately, the meaning of this work is embedded in the social and institutional contexts of its time.