Samenkomst van dichters voor de Parnassus 1640

Cornelis Bloemaert made this print called "Samenkomst van dichters voor de Parnassus" or "Assembly of Poets before Parnassus" sometime in the 17th century. It illustrates the sacred mountain in Greek mythology, the home of Apollo and the Muses. In the Dutch Republic at this time, academies and learned societies were on the rise. It was within these institutions that ideas about art were formed and promoted, with the classical world of Greece and Rome being the supreme model. Here, we see poets and writers gathered together, some with scrolls in hand. Above them is the winged horse Pegasus carrying an angel. This scene would have resonated with the educated elite of the time, as they placed great importance on classical learning. To better understand this image, we might research the role of classical education in the Dutch Republic, or the organization of literary societies at this time. As art historians, we can look into the social conditions that shape artistic production.