Prometheus geketend 1728 - 1760

Pierre Chenu created this print, "Prometheus Bound," during the height of the Enlightenment, a period defined by reason and the questioning of traditional authority. Chenu captures Prometheus, the Greek Titan who defied the gods to give fire to humanity, in a moment of profound suffering. The image of Prometheus, chained and vulnerable, resonates with the era's complex relationship to power and knowledge. Prometheus's punishment can be viewed as a cautionary tale about the cost of challenging divine or established order. Yet, his defiant act of providing fire, a symbol of knowledge and progress, also aligns with the Enlightenment's emphasis on human reason and scientific advancement. The tension in this piece is palpable: is Prometheus a symbol of human progress or a warning against defying authority? It asks us to consider who gets to control knowledge and at what cost? In this way, Chenu’s print encapsulates the spirit of an age grappling with its own contradictions, reflecting both its aspirations and its anxieties.