Cartouche met Fama die blaast op twee bazuinen 1565 - 1571

This print, “Cartouche met Fama die blaast op twee bazuinen”, was created by Johannes or Lucas van Doetechum. It’s held at the Rijksmuseum. This ornamental print reflects the values of the Northern Renaissance, when the rediscovery of classical antiquity coincided with the rise of printmaking. Visual codes derived from antiquity, such as Fame and the cartouche, coexist with signs of commerce, such as cows. This suggests the importance of both learning and mercantile exchange to the culturally ascendant burghers of the Netherlands. The institutional history here is the history of printmaking itself: images like these were initially created to be templates for craftsmen, and later collected as art in their own right. Understanding this print requires accessing the visual language of the time, the conventions of both art and commerce. With these research tools, we can see how art is always contingent on social and institutional context.