Water 1735

Johann Justin Preissler created this print called ‘Water’ sometime in the 18th century. It presents us with a female nude reclining on a cloud above a rainbow, pouring water from a vase. In European art, the classical female nude served as a versatile signifier of abstract concepts. Here, the reclining nude is ‘Water’, a personification of one of the four classical elements. This tradition dates back to antiquity, but was reinvigorated in the Renaissance, finding popularity in courtly circles. The rediscovery of classical texts and artworks created new value for the nude as a carrier of allegorical meaning. But the print also speaks to the democratizing forces of the enlightenment. No longer the preserve of aristocratic elites, such images became more widely available through printmaking. Careful art historical research into such images can reveal the ways in which social, political, and economic structures shaped artistic production and meaning.