Man met een spade 1730

Izaak Enschedé printed this image in 1730 in Haarlem, and it appeared in a book of poetry. The book’s title, when translated to English, is ‘The Outward Orchard.’ But the book is not just about outward things: it explores how visible landscapes can reflect the invisible shapes of our emotions. The image shows a man working with a spade in a garden. Above his head, the Hebrew name of God is written in radiant light. The motto ‘Do and Hope’ encircles him. This little image reflects a culture of intense religious feeling. Haarlem was a center of Dutch Mennonites, a Christian movement that emphasized the values of manual labor, pacifism, and piety. Enschedé was himself a member of this community, and he printed many Mennonite books. As historians, we look at books like this to find out about the social worlds that produced them. We investigate the institutions that shaped the artist. What role did religious ideas play in the community? How did new printing technologies allow them to spread? In this way, we come to understand art’s role in society.