Portret van Arcangelo Corelli 1698 - 1776

Johannes de Groot the Younger made this print of Arcangelo Corelli, likely in the early 18th century in the Netherlands. It shows the composer holding a sheet of his music and is based on an earlier portrait by Hugh Howard. Prints like this one played a vital role in shaping artistic reputations. Before mass media, they were a key way that the image of a composer could circulate beyond a small circle of wealthy patrons and concert-goers. De Groot’s print flattens the tonal range of the original portrait, but maintains Corelli’s refined and fashionable appearance. This carefully constructed image of Corelli, popularized through printed images, helped to cement the idea of the composer as a figure of genius. As historians, we can draw on a wide range of sources, from printed images like this, to concert programmes and critical reviews, to understand how artistic reputations are built and maintained through cultural and institutional structures.