Slag bij Ramillies, 1706 1714 - 1716

Matthijs Pool created this engraving of the Battle of Ramillies in 1706. It's a print, meaning that the image you see was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then pressed onto paper. Look closely at the crisp lines of the map – the engraver would have used specialized tools to cut those marks into the metal. The production of prints like this one speaks to an emerging culture of information sharing and consumption. This wasn't a unique work of art, meant for a wealthy patron. Instead, prints like this could be produced in multiples, and sold at relatively low cost to a broad public. It’s a kind of early form of mass media, documenting current events for an eager audience. Consider the labor involved: the skilled work of the engraver, the production of paper and ink, and the distribution of the final product. All of this depended on increasingly organized systems of production and trade. So, even a seemingly simple image like this offers a window onto the economic and social forces that shaped its creation.