Kaart van het graafschap Holland 1617 - 1622

Pieter van der Keere made this map of the county of Holland sometime around the turn of the 17th century, using engraving. The fine lines of the engraving create a wealth of detail, from the elaborate cartouches to the tiny, densely packed place names. Look closely, and you can almost feel the burin – the engraver's tool – as it carves away slivers of copper. This wasn't just a feat of technical skill; it was a meticulous act of labor. Each line, each letter, carefully etched to create an image of control. Maps like these played a crucial role in the burgeoning mercantile culture of the Dutch Golden Age. They weren't just about geography; they were tools for trade, navigation, and ultimately, power. By mapping the territory, van der Keere and his contemporaries were actively shaping it, turning land into a commodity, and knowledge into capital. This map is a testament to the artistry of the engraver, but it also reminds us that even the most beautiful objects can be deeply implicated in wider social and economic forces.