Opsomming van prenten naar Teniers in een ornamentele lijst 1760

This etching of a decorative list of paintings by David Teniers was made by Jacques Philippe Le Bas, in France, during the 18th century. The image reflects the growing institutionalization of art during this period, as well as how these institutions began to shape perceptions of artists and artworks. Lists like this were often circulated by academies or printmakers and used to inventory collections and standardize the art historical canon. The selection of Teniers, a Flemish painter known for genre scenes, is telling. It suggests a growing interest in art that depicted everyday life and a burgeoning market for this kind of imagery. Features of French culture at the time, such as royal patronage and the rise of the art market, certainly influenced the production and consumption of such lists. These served both to promote artists and to establish criteria for taste and value. To understand this image better, we might look at the archives of the French Royal Academy or the records of printmakers' guilds. We should remember that art's meaning is always shaped by its social and institutional context.