Boomstronk met een maliënkolder tussen twee kannen 1660

Giovanni Battista Galestruzzi made this etching of a tree trunk with chain mail between two vases sometime in the mid-17th century. At the time, the institutions that shaped art production included not only workshops and academies, but also printmaking. Printmaking allowed for a wider circulation of designs and artworks. Galestruzzi likely made this in Italy, and the cultural references point to the importance of classical antiquity. The vases themselves are adorned with classical motifs, such as figures from mythology and decorative elements. The chain mail is also a reference to the attire of ancient Roman soldiers. The imagery is rooted in its contemporary artistic and intellectual circles, especially classical themes. To understand it better, art historians draw on a range of research resources, from the prints themselves to manuscript sources that shed light on the artistic ideas of the time. The meaning of art is always contingent on this social and institutional context.