Titelpagina voor: N. Gueudeville en Henri Abraham Chatelain, Atlas historique, Tome II, 1708 1708 - 1720

This title page for the second volume of the ‘Atlas Historique’ was created in 1708 by Pieter Sluyter, employing etching. Here, classical figures mingle amidst clouds, laden with symbols of power, knowledge, and history. Note the figure of Atlas, holding the globe, a symbol of the burden of knowledge. The seated women writing embody history and science, recalling the muses of classical antiquity, who preside over the arts and sciences. Such figures, however, are descendants of ancient memory, recurring in various guises across time. Consider how the image of Atlas has morphed from the Titan condemned to hold up the heavens to a symbol of cartography and scholarly endeavor. The symbolic weight carried by these figures speaks to our collective subconscious, revealing how images connect us to enduring human concerns with time and space. This visual language resurfaces, adapts, and takes on new significance as culture evolves.