Beleg van Oostende omstreeks het einde van 1603 1603

This is "Siege of Ostend around the end of 1603," made by Floris Balthasarsz van Berckenrode. It’s an engraving, a printmaking process that involves incising an image onto a metal plate, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. This technique allowed for the relatively efficient reproduction of images, making them more accessible to a wider audience. The work is incredibly detailed, showing the city of Ostend under siege with a bird’s-eye view. Van Berckenrode meticulously captured the layout of the city, its fortifications, and the surrounding landscape. Notice the precision with which he rendered the textures of the land and water. The print's function as a visual record, and its availability to a broader public, speaks to the rise of cartography. In a world increasingly shaped by trade and military conflict, this print is not just a work of art, but a document deeply embedded in the political and economic realities of its time.