"Les Grandes Frises" (6 of 12) 1610 - 1626

Pierre Brebiette made this engraving, "Les Grandes Frises," in France in the early 17th century. The print shows a bacchanal scene of revelry that evokes both the aesthetics and the social functions of art in its time. The image creates meaning through visual codes of classical mythology. The scene overflows with satyrs, nymphs, and putti, figures associated with the Roman god Bacchus, who stood for fertility, wine, and religious ecstasy. It’s worth considering the political and economic dimensions of 17th-century France, a society rigidly divided by social class, ruled by an absolute monarch, and in which the Catholic Church played a major role. It is quite possible that Brebiette, like many artists of his time, was influenced by the values of Humanism. Historians use a variety of resources to better understand the social and institutional contexts that shaped this piece. We research the meanings of classical mythology during that time, as well as the social function of art in the French court. By studying such sources, we realize that art always reflects and shapes social norms.