ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the dissemination of On the Sublime and its reception in the Dutch Republic, which was a groundbreaking event for introducing new ideas about creation and its effect on literature, drama, and the visual arts. Franciscus Junius, who pioneered in using the ancient text in the context of the visual arts, will receive special attention. He used Longinus's concept of phantasia to reflect on the role played by the imagination that enabled artists as well as their audiences to become overwhelmed by art. This new interest in the sublime was not limited to humanist discussion. The end of the chapter will show how artists and writers such as Rubens and Vondel took part in discussions about the role of the imagination in expressing the sublime in the arts.
