Plate 10 from Pietro Paulo Bissari, Antiopa 1662

Mathäus Küsel made this print, Plate 10 from Pietro Paulo Bissari, Antiopa, sometime in the 17th century. It stages a procession of fantastical creatures. Visual codes and historical associations shape the image. Küsel was a German artist working in a period defined by the aftermath of the Thirty Years' War. This conflict devastated much of Europe. The war was driven by religious and political divisions. Its settlement resulted in the rise of powerful state institutions. Küsel’s print reflects that cultural context. The regimented procession and bizarre hybrid creatures evoke the elaborate courtly festivals of the period. These would have been designed to display power and promote a sense of collective identity. As historians, we might look at costume books, festival accounts, and emblem books from the period, to better understand this imagery. Thinking about art as an expression of institutional power helps us grasp its complex meanings.