Portret van Abraham Bloemaert 1673 - 1707

Gérard Edelinck created this engraving of Abraham Bloemaert sometime after 1640. It raises interesting questions about the social standing of artists in the Dutch Golden Age. Bloemaert, a painter himself, is depicted with the accoutrements of intellectual status: classical robes and a laurel wreath, holding a quill over a blank page. This is no mere tradesman, but a learned master of a liberal art. The image subtly elevates the status of the artist. But, the print also speaks to the institutional forces at play. Edelinck, as an engraver, was dependent on the market for prints and the patronage of collectors. The act of creating and circulating Bloemaert's image was also an act of negotiating and solidifying Bloemaert's artistic reputation. To fully understand this image, one would want to delve into the print market of the time, examining the networks of artists, publishers, and collectors. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.