Portret van Torquato Tasso met mythologische figuren 1745

Martin Schedel created this print, ‘Portrait of Torquato Tasso with Mythological Figures’, in the 18th century, but we do not know the exact date. The portrait depicts the Italian poet Torquato Tasso amongst an assembly of Greek gods, nymphs, and winged horses. This allegorical scene reveals the enduring status of the artist as a figure of cultural authority in the 1700s. Schedel worked in Germany at a time when the artist had a vital role to play in the creation of national identity. The dominant institutions of Church and state still exerted considerable influence on art. However, the Enlightenment was well underway, and the artist was increasingly seen as a kind of independent intellectual, blessed with special gifts, and a powerful moral compass. By looking into the print collections of the time, and the papers of artistic academies, we can discover more about art’s changing social role in 18th century Europe.