Titelprent van het pamflet: Verclaringe van den Gouden Stock, 1618 1618

This is the title page of the pamphlet Verclaringe van den Gouden Stock, an anonymous print from 1618. The image encapsulates the political tensions of the time, depicting a tug-of-war over a golden staff. The print reflects the fraught atmosphere of the early 17th century Netherlands, a time marked by religious and political conflict as well as the Eighty Years' War. We see figures pulling at the staff, likely representing different factions vying for power. The text above the image hints at the patriotic sentiment, referencing a hero who "cleared the sea of Spaniards." The artist cleverly uses the visual metaphor of the tug-of-war to comment on the power struggles within Dutch society. To fully understand the print, we might consult pamphlets and political writings from the period, alongside studies of the Dutch Golden Age and institutional histories of the Dutch Republic. We can then appreciate art's vital role in shaping and reflecting public opinion during times of social upheaval.