Advertentie voor prentmaker Jacobus Robijn c. 1657 - 1747

This is an advertisement made by Jacobus Robijn, an engraver working in Amsterdam in the late 17th and early 18th century. The print offers us a window into the social structures that shaped artistic production at that time. Amsterdam was a booming commercial center, and artists like Robijn relied on advertising to attract clients. The image itself, with its classical motifs and allegorical figures, speaks to the cultural values of the era. Two cherubs adorn the top, framing a florid cartouche, and below we see fashionable citizens being directed to Robijn's shop. Another man hunts in the distance. To truly understand this advertisement, we need to delve into the economic and social history of Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. Archival research, business records, and studies of Dutch visual culture would all shed light on the context in which this print was created and consumed. Art becomes meaningful only when we understand the conditions in which it was made.