Inland Waterway with Two Galliots at the Right c. 1656

Reinier Nooms made this print, 'Inland Waterway with Two Galliots at the Right,' in the Netherlands. The subject here is Dutch maritime power and the complex infrastructure upon which it was built. This was the era of the Dutch East India Company, and waterways like the one depicted here were the lifeblood of global trade networks. Nooms was himself a sailor, and he brings first-hand knowledge to this kind of scene. Notice how the artist directs our attention not just to the larger ships, but to the figures on the shore and in small boats who are engaged in the daily labor of transport and trade. How might the lives of those people be affected by the growth of international commerce? Understanding this etching requires us to look into the history of Dutch trade, the lives of sailors and merchants, and the political and economic structures that shaped the Golden Age of the Netherlands.