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Frontispiece to Truth Brought to Light by Time

John Droeshout

1692

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

Frontispiece to Truth Brought to Light by Time is a 1692 ink by John Droeshout, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: John Droeshout
When & what style?: 1692 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows four scenes in a grid. On the left, a woman with her arms raised stands next to a sleeping man and a dog. Above her, another woman holds a scroll while a man looks on. On the right, a bearded man with wings holds a sun-like object, and below him, a man writes at a desk with a child nearby. In the center, a tree grows from a candle, with books and a lantern hanging from its branches. The text at the top reads *"Truth Brought to Light by Time."* This isn’t a real event—it’s a symbolic way to show how truth reveals itself over time. Want to know more? Look up engraving to see how artists like this made detailed prints.