Putti ontnemen Vader Tijd geschriften 1666 - 1707

This engraving by Gérard Edelinck, made in the Netherlands in the late 17th century, depicts cherubic putti stealing documents from Father Time. This image can be read as a commentary on the power of art institutions, such as academies, to shape cultural memory. The image creates meaning through its references to classical iconography: Father Time is a conventional symbol of mortality, the putti stand for innocence, and the pyramid form is used as a monument. The Latin inscription ‘NEC EDET PADERE MONUMENTA VETVSTAS’ translates to ‘antiquity shall not destroy the monuments of the fathers’. This suggests a humanist sensibility that values knowledge of the past. Yet the image also implies a tension between history and the present, with the cherubs' youthful energy undermining the power of the old. As historians, we can use archives and other period documents to better understand the contemporary perception of this image and interpret its social meaning. This engraving thus acts as a reminder that the meaning of art is always contingent on its cultural and institutional context.