Bernard Picart 1732 Allegorical Frontispiece History Painting and Dutch Princes

Description

Bernard Picart engraving dated 1732, depicting an elaborate allegory of History and Painting. This frontispiece was created for Frans van Mieris the Younger’s Histori der Nederlandsche vorsten, a history of the rulers of the Netherlands published in The Hague by Pieter de Hondt.

The central scene shows winged History handing a quill to Painting, who holds a palette and brushes. History invites her to record the deeds of the princes who governed the Netherlands. The subject also refers to Frans van Mieris’s activities as both a painter and a historian.

Above the main figures, Time and two figures of Fame unfold a large tapestry. Within it, the Maid of Holland appears with a lion and is accompanied by personifications of Religion, Liberty and Navigation together with Mars and Mercury. Portrait medallions around the tapestry represent rulers from the houses of Bavaria, Burgundy and Austria, extending to Charles V.

The composition links historical writing with the visual arts. Painting receives both inspiration and material evidence, while the surrounding allegorical figures evoke the religious, military, maritime and commercial aspects of Dutch history.

In the foreground, putti examine books and medals. Open volumes, scattered medals and a globe reinforce the theme of historical study. These details refer to the importance of numismatic evidence in Van Mieris’s work. A distant battle scene on the left adds a further historical dimension.

The finely worked lines describe flowing drapery, feathers, expressive faces and numerous small objects. Contrasts between light and shadow help distinguish the many figures within this densely arranged composition.

French-caption version

This impression has an explanatory caption in French beneath the image. The engraved signature at the lower left reads “B. Picart invenit et fecit 1732”, crediting Picart with both the design and execution.

Details

Artist: Bernard Picart (1673–1733).
Date: 1732.
Subject: allegory of History and Painting with the rulers of the Netherlands.
Publication: Histori der Nederlandsche vorsten.
Book author: Frans van Mieris the Younger.
Book publisher: Pieter de Hondt in The Hague.
Technique: intaglio engraving.
Caption language: French.
Sheet dimensions: 34.4 × 22 cm.
Image dimensions: 31.3 × 21.2 cm.

Condition

The composition remains clearly legible. The margins are narrow, with minor irregularities and marks along the edges. The paper is slightly toned, with some visible marks, particularly in the lower section. The photographs form an integral part of the description.

This Bernard Picart engraving brings together Dutch history, allegorical imagery, painting and numismatics. Its detailed composition will appeal to collectors of eighteenth-century prints, illustrated frontispieces and historical medals.