Verzamelband met de prentwerken: Les forces de l'Europe en Le Theatre de la Guerre, dans les Pays-Bas, 1693-1697 1697 - 1699

This book, made by Nicolas de Fer around the late 17th century, is a collection of prints titled "The Forces of Europe and The Theater of War in the Netherlands." The book's cover presents a study in the materiality of age. Its leather, a deep umber, is marked with the random textures of time, each scratch and stain telling its own silent narrative. The eye is drawn not to a pristine surface, but to one that speaks of handling and history. Structurally, the book is a series of bound maps and prints that would have served a very practical purpose. These were not mere decorations, but tools for understanding political geography and military strategy. In a sense, the book functions as an early form of data visualization. It’s fascinating to consider how its form—a portable, bound collection—enabled the dissemination of knowledge. Consider how the wear and tear on the cover further emphasizes the book's role as an object of utility, constantly consulted and revisited. The beauty here lies not in ornamentation, but in the honest display of age and purpose, a testament to its enduring function across centuries.