Allegorie met Atlas, Vader Tijd, Zeus, Chorografie en Historia 1681 - 1713

François van Bleyswijck created this print, Allegory with Atlas, Father Time, Zeus, Chorography and History, around the turn of the 18th century. This engraving is rich with classical and allegorical figures, a common visual language of the time. Atlas, the titan condemned to hold up the heavens, is prominently positioned, while Zeus, identifiable by his trident, and Father Time stand to his side. The figure of Chorography, representing the mapping of space, leans over a globe, and Historia, or History, stands with a book, perhaps signifying the recording of events. Made in the Netherlands, the print reflects the Dutch Republic's preoccupation with cartography and its self-image as a center of global trade and knowledge. The print presents a world that is knowable and governable, which would reflect the growing authority of institutions of science and learning. To fully understand this work, one might delve into the history of Dutch cartography, the role of classical imagery in the Republic's visual culture, and the period’s developing notions of history and geography as disciplines. This artwork thus becomes an intersection of art, science, and societal self-conception.