Apollo omringd door de Muzen 1722 - 1784

Simon Fokke created this print, “Apollo Surrounded by the Muses,” sometime in the 18th century in the Netherlands. The god Apollo sits centrally, radiating light, and playing a lyre, surrounded by the nine muses, each representing different artistic and scientific disciplines. This imagery speaks to the cultural values of the time, particularly the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason, knowledge, and the arts as civilizing forces. Fokke’s print suggests a vision of harmonious intellectual and artistic pursuit, all guided by Apollo, the god of music, poetry, and light. Consider the location of this image in the Rijksmuseum. What does it mean to display this artwork in a national museum? Does it tell us something about Dutch cultural values? By studying the print culture of the 18th-century Netherlands, we can understand how images circulated, and how they were used to promote certain ideas about art, knowledge, and society.