Jacht op twee slangen 1681

Dirck Bosboom created this engraving, titled 'Hunting Two Snakes,' in the Netherlands sometime between 1648 and 1682. It shows an imagined scene of a hunting party in a distant land; one group spears snakes while others pursue wild animals. This image reflects the rise of Dutch maritime power in the 17th century. The Dutch East India Company, a powerful institution, drove exploration, trade, and colonization. Prints like this fed the public's imagination with visions of exotic lands and the supposed exploits of Dutch adventurers. How are we to view such images today? By studying travel narratives, company records, and other primary sources, we can understand the complex social and economic forces that shaped the production and reception of this artwork. The role of the historian is to reveal how art both reflects and perpetuates specific ideologies.