Cartouche met drie sieraden, onderaan de tuin van het Kasteel van Ruel 1665

Balthazar Moncornet created this print, "Cartouche met drie sieraden, onderaan de tuin van het Kasteel van Ruel," showcasing an elaborate cartouche featuring jewels, floral arrangements, and squirrels, set above a garden view. The jewels, emblems of wealth and status, dangle, drawing our eye. Squirrels, symbols of thrift and preparation, perch atop the design. These motifs remind me of similar displays of opulence in Renaissance portraiture, where jewelry denoted power and status. Consider the garland— a motif echoing classical antiquity, reborn in countless forms across centuries. What once symbolized victory and celebration in ancient Rome evolves here into a frame for aristocratic display. This transformation reflects a culture grappling with its past, reinterpreting symbols to suit new aspirations.