Priapus 1688 - 1700

Arnold Houbraken created this print of "Priapus" sometime between 1670 and 1719, now held at the Rijksmuseum. The image recalls the classical figure of Priapus, the Greco-Roman god of fertility and gardens. Standing nearly nude, this aging Priapus holds a sickle while overflowing with the fruits of the harvest. In this period, Dutch artists frequently turned to classical mythology, and this image invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between classical ideals and contemporary Dutch society. Houbraken was not only an artist but a biographer of Dutch Golden Age painters; perhaps he saw a parallel between the artist's creative fertility and Priapus's domain over gardens and growth. Rather than presenting an idealized, youthful god, Houbraken's Priapus is a mature figure, bearing the marks of time. The image resonates with a sense of the cyclical nature of life and art, reminding us of the connections between creativity, nature, and the passage of time.