Phineus verstoort de bruiloft van Perseus en Andromeda 1584

Abraham de Bruyn created this engraving, "Phineus disrupts the wedding of Perseus and Andromeda" at an unknown date in the 16th century. It depicts a scene of violent disruption from classical mythology, framed by ornate decorative elements that speak to the artistic tastes of the period. The image derives its power from a long tradition of classical imagery, filtered through a northern European sensibility. We can think about how the cultural and political elites in the 16th century used classical themes to legitimize their own power. Prints such as these circulated widely, influencing taste and disseminating artistic ideas across Europe. Careful historical research into the artist's life and the print's provenance can reveal much about the social conditions that shaped its production and reception. We, as historians, recognize that its meaning has always been contingent on its ever-changing social and institutional context.