Historische kaart van Nederland met de gebieden van de Bataven en Friezen 1697 - 1725

Curator: Editor: This is an engraved print dating from around 1697-1725, titled "Historische kaart van Nederland met de gebieden van de Bataven en Friezen" and created by Gerrit de Broen. It shows a historical map with allegorical figures above. I'm immediately struck by the incredible detail rendered through engraving. What can you tell me about it? Curator: As a materialist, I'm particularly interested in the labour that went into producing this map. Consider the economic and social systems required to produce the copper plates, the inks, and the paper itself, and the engraver's expertise. Who would have consumed this map, and what value did they place on it? These factors point to the material and symbolic worth society placed on such representations. Editor: So you’re thinking about the social status that commissioning and owning this print may have conferred? Curator: Precisely. These weren’t mass-produced images as we understand them today. Producing such detailed engraving was expensive and labor-intensive. Consider, too, the knowledge this map embodies. Surveying land, engraving it... these are professions tied to economic power and territorial control. Maps like these were tools of power. Editor: I never really thought about the map itself as a kind of resource beyond just geographic data. Curator: Think about the materials – the copper plate itself being a valuable commodity, a source of wealth. Consider where the paper came from, the mills that produced it, the labor involved in its production, distribution, and eventual consumption. This all contributed to a network that extended far beyond just artistic creation. Editor: Right! Understanding all the materials, the skills of the artisans and engravers to translate geographical data into a durable and desirable print object... really makes me think differently about maps I use today! Curator: Exactly! It makes us consider the modern means of production and how this impacts our access and view of our shared landscape.