Profiel van de zeedijk van de Vier Noorder Koggen 1776

Leonardus Schenk Jansz made this drawing of the sea dike of the Vier Noorder Koggen using pen and gray ink. We might consider this drawing as a symbolic representation of the Dutch Republic's complex relationship with water. In the 18th century, control over water was essential to the economic and political power of the Netherlands. This drawing, therefore, speaks to the country's sophisticated hydraulic engineering and water management. The drawing may be a technical document related to the administration of polder land, but it carries implications about social and political structures of the time. Who was responsible for the upkeep of the dikes? Who had access to the land? How were decisions made about water management? Historical research into land ownership, water boards, and local governance could reveal a more nuanced picture of the social and political conditions behind this drawing. This would underscore the ways in which art objects, even technical drawings, are embedded in historical contexts.