Allegorie op de handel met Mercurius en handelaren 1681 - 1746

François van Bleyswijck created this print, "Allegory on trade with Mercury and traders," during a time when the Dutch Republic was a major center of global commerce. The print shows an idealized vision of global trade, symbolized by the Roman god Mercury standing above merchants from different parts of the world, with ships and camels in the background that represent the vast networks that Dutch traders had established. However, this seemingly celebratory image is complicated when viewed through the lens of social and economic history. The wealth of the Dutch Republic, and thus images like these, was built on a system of exploitation and colonialism. The print does not show the darker sides of this reality – the exploitation of enslaved peoples, the displacement of indigenous populations, and the brutal competition between European powers for control of trade routes. We are reminded that these images can be interpreted as tools to create an appealing narrative of a complex system. By acknowledging this, we can better understand the complex relationship between art, power, and identity in the Dutch Golden Age.