Trofee met harp en duiven 1760 - 1784

This “Trophy with harp and doves” is an engraving. With its closely worked lines, the artist has created something that looks as delicate as a drawing. The image is made up of symbolic items. The doves, emblems of peace and love, are perched above a basket. It's decorated with flowers, and from it hangs a garland. Above, we see a quiver with arrows and a harp. These objects together represent pleasure and harmony, ideals that were greatly valued at the time this print was made. It is an anonymous work, and that fact can tell us something too. Prints like this were made in multiples, and would have circulated widely. The artist probably wasn't thinking of making high art, but of meeting a demand for accessible, attractive images. The relative ease with which this print could have been produced belies the amount of thought that was required in the engraving process. The artist employed skill and technique to elevate the artwork. In doing so, “Trophy with harp and doves” challenges distinctions between fine art and craft.