Mädchen mit Triton und Fischen c. 1620

Cornelis de Wael made this drawing, "Girl with Triton and Fish," sometime between 1615 and 1667 with graphite on paper. The work is a classical subject and is, in some ways, academic. De Wael likely made it to show off his mastery of the human form. But why choose this subject? Why choose to depict this scene? De Wael was Flemish but spent a great deal of time in Italy, specifically Genoa. The key to this image might be in understanding the function of the Northern European artist in Italy. There was a booming market for art and a clear demand for Flemish artists who could offer a painting style that Italian artists couldn’t provide. To fully understand this work, we need to examine the dynamics of the art market in early modern Europe and the cultural exchange between Northern and Southern Europe. This requires us to look beyond the image itself and consider the social and economic context in which it was created.