Blad met twee vignetten 1700

This page with two vignettes was made by Dirk Janszoon van Santen, likely in the Netherlands, sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century. The images are replete with Christian symbolism. Above, a woman standing on a crescent moon is set against a fearsome lion; below, an angel appears before a group of figures in classical robes. Note how the images are framed: set within what seem to be laurel wreaths, the traditional symbol of victory. This combination of Christian and classical imagery, presented in a way that is both forceful and decorative, was very much in vogue at the time. The question that remains is why these images were made. Were they studies for larger works? Were they intended as book illustrations? To better understand this, we need to consider the status of printmaking in the Dutch Republic at the time, to learn about the institutions that supported artists like Van Santen, and to research the political uses of such imagery. Art, after all, does not exist in a vacuum.