Titelprent voor 'Atlas nouveau, contenant toutes les parties du monde' van Guillaume Delisle 1730

This is Romeyn de Hooghe’s etching for the title page of Guillaume Delisle's "Atlas nouveau, contenant toutes les parties du monde," made around the turn of the 18th century in Amsterdam. It is an image deeply embedded in its historical moment. At a time when European exploration and colonization were rapidly expanding, de Hooghe presents a vision of the world as understood through a European lens. Note how people from different continents are arranged around the table, seemingly offering their knowledge and resources to the Europeans seated at the head. The image invites us to consider questions of power, representation, and knowledge. How does it feel to see the world mapped out in this way? Whose perspectives are centered, and whose are marginalized? What does it mean to create a comprehensive atlas during a time of conquest? This artwork reflects and shapes a worldview rooted in the complexities of its time.