Verdienste 1605

Raffaello Schiaminossi created this print called 'Verdienste' sometime between 1587 and 1622. It’s an etching, a kind of printmaking, and this one is now held in the Rijksmuseum. The print depicts a bearded figure, crowned with laurel, holding a staff and a book, standing upon a rock. This figure represents Merit, an allegorical personification of worthiness and achievement. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, there was growing interest in classical virtues and moral concepts. Institutions such as courts and academies were interested in claiming that their members embodied such virtues. Prints like this one circulated widely and visualized that claim. To truly understand this image, we must delve into the cultural values of the period, analyzing the way honor and merit were understood and visually represented. We could start by looking at emblem books, another popular medium at the time, and institutional records to see how this image may have functioned within its social context. Understanding those contexts is key to interpreting this work.