Penningen in versierde lijsten

About this artwork

plaatrand: hoogte 410 mm x breedte 287 mm

Art Historical Context

**Penningen in versierdesten** (Medals in Ornamented Frames), an etching by Simon de laissière from around 1647–1682, captures the Dutch Golden Age's passion for numismatics. Measuring 410 mm high by 287 mm wide, this plate showcases a meticulous arrangement of historical medals housed in elaborate decorative frames. De la Boissière, skilled Amsterdam-based engraver of French origin, specialized in reproductive prints that preserved and elevated collectible artifacts for scholarly audiences. Etching's fluid, incisive lines were ideal for rendering the intricate details of coins and cameos—tiny portraits and symbols from antiquity that served as portable history lessons. In the 17th century, Dutch collectors prized such items as windows into ancient Rome and Greece, blending art with intellectual pursuit amid the era's booming trade and printing industry. This work exemplifies how prints democratized elite collections, inviting viewers to ponder the cultural legacy encoded in metal. A delightful fusion of precision and ornament, it reminds us how 17th-century artists turned pocket-sized treasures into grand visual feasts. (178 words)