The Art of Adriaen Pietersz. van de Venne and the Dutch Emblematic Tradition of the 17th Century

Adriaen Pitersz van de Venne was an artist and poet in the 17th-century Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. The harmony between poetry and painting was a basis of his artistic method. Following the most recent studies, this research aims to analyze the art of Adriaen Pitersz van de Venne in the perspective of word and image by placing his works in the context of Dutch emblematical tradition. The first part of the study addresses the influence of artistic context on Adriaen van de Venne. The research on Van de Venne theory of sinne cunst and its connection to ut pictura poesis discourse on are provided in the second part of the study. According to Van de Venne, the aim of the painter is to create “the art of wit” or sinne cunst that combines the didactic and entertaining qualities of poetry and painting. The combination of poetry and painting or the word and image corresponds to the principles of an emblem. The concept of sinne-cunst was embodied in Van de Venne’s grisailles that were interpreted according to the emblematical principles and Van de Venne’s artistic theory in the final part of the research.