Allegorie op de Waarheid 1652 - 1707

Gérard Edelinck created this print, Allegory on Truth, sometime in the late 17th century using etching. It explores the concept of truth and its relationship to power and storytelling. The print shows an allegorical scene in which fable, a figure holding a staff, guides a king toward truth, represented by a radiant, semi-nude female figure in the heavens. The figure of fable dares to show the truth to kings. This was made during a time when royal power was often legitimized through elaborate myth-making. The print subtly critiques the authority of rulers by suggesting that even they are subject to truth, and that stories, or fables, have a role in revealing it. It also challenges art institutions and the role of art in shaping social perceptions of power. To truly understand this work, we need to examine the political and cultural context of France under Louis XIV, looking at courtly culture, and the role of academies in shaping artistic expression.