Kronkelende rivier 1650 - 1715

This is Martinus Berkenboom’s "Kronkelende Rivier," or "Winding River," an etching made in the Netherlands, sometime before 1715. Berkenboom was a land surveyor. As such, this image served a practical function. But its neat and orderly aesthetic also reflects a growing cultural interest in scientific observation during the early modern period. Mapping was of enormous political and economic importance to the Dutch Republic at this time. This new nation-state was becoming a major mercantile power. So, accurate navigation was essential to controlling trade routes and maintaining overseas colonies. The text surrounding the map shows the mathematical calculations involved in measuring land, highlighting a new appreciation for empirical reasoning. This rise in scientific thinking was supported by institutions such as the universities of Leiden, Franeker, and Groningen, and can be seen across Dutch Golden Age painting. To understand this image fully, historians would turn to sources such as land records, shipping logs, and scientific treatises. Such documents would provide insight into the artwork’s social and institutional context, enriching our understanding of its meanings.