Reinaert de vos belooft de leeuw geschenken 1826

Johannes Christiaan Bendorp created this print, "Reinaert de vos belooft de leeuw geschenken," using etching. Prints like this were popular in the Netherlands in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They democratized art, making images accessible beyond wealthy elites. This particular print illustrates a scene from the medieval "Reynaert the Fox" stories. These tales, deeply embedded in the culture of the Low Countries, used animal allegories to satirize human foibles and critique social hierarchies. Reynaert, the fox, is a trickster figure who uses his wit to outsmart the powerful. Here, he promises gifts to the lion, a symbol of authority, highlighting themes of deception and power dynamics, which resonate with historical tensions between the common folk and the ruling classes. To truly understand such works, we delve into the history of printmaking, folklore, and social satire. This reveals how art engaged with, and sometimes challenged, the established order of the time. The Rijksmuseum’s collection and its research resources would be invaluable for such an undertaking.