Perseus met het hoofd van Medusa 1682

Gerard de Lairesse made this print, Perseus with the Head of Medusa, in 1682. It references Jean-Baptiste Lully’s opera, “Persée,” which premiered in Paris that same year and was intended for all the airs de violons de l’opéra. This print reflects a moment of intense artistic and political exchange between France and the Dutch Republic. Lairesse, though Dutch, was deeply influenced by French classicism. The opera itself, a product of the French court, was a symbol of royal power and cultural prestige. Note how it depicts the mythological hero Perseus. The figure embodies ideals of heroism and triumph that would have resonated with the aspirations of the French monarchy. The print was made in Amsterdam by Jean Philip Heus. This indicates the commercial and artistic networks that existed across Europe at the time. To fully understand this print, we would need to research the history of opera in the 17th century, the patronage system that supported the arts, and the cultural exchanges between France and the Dutch Republic.