Madonna en Johannes de Doper 1633 - 1637

Cornelis Bloemaert created this print, *Madonna and John the Baptist,* in the Netherlands sometime in the 17th century. Prints like this served a crucial function in disseminating imagery in the early modern period. They operated as visual surrogates for paintings that were difficult for most people to access, such as the work of Titian, after which this print was made. Bloemaert has inscribed the name of his patron at the bottom of the print; he also claims that he both ‘drew and engraved’ the image, marking his institutional affiliation. The social function of prints was to popularize images, but they could also be a means for artists to advertise their services. An art historian can help us understand how images circulated, and what social work they performed. The inscriptions on the print itself, alongside archival records about the printmaker and his patron, can help us to reconstruct this history.