Tekstblad met het motto van het Wiskundig Genootschap 1786

Curator: This is a fascinating piece! Barent de Bakker created this "Tekstblad met het motto van het Wiskundig Genootschap," a text sheet with the motto of the Mathematical Society, back in 1786. The print combines engraving and etching techniques. What's your initial reaction? Editor: Overwhelming, in the best way. The dense calligraphy creates a visually active surface. It feels like a statement piece. Something meant to impress, almost an over-the-top declaration of purpose and intent through its motto, and visual aesthetic. Curator: Absolutely. The script itself carries layers of meaning. Calligraphy, particularly in the Baroque period, often conveyed social status and intellectual refinement. It elevates the simple text into a revered emblem of the Society’s values. And notice how the lettering interacts with landscape imagery! Editor: Yes, that interplay interests me! These little vignettes included alongside, suggesting work, manual labour. How do we reconcile this depiction of work, perhaps intended for the good of all, with the very refined lettering style which seems to declare quite clearly its exclusive intended audience? The tension here could mirror some class-based prejudices within the very people seeking to help, who may, in reality, look down on the everyday labour of "commoners". Curator: An insightful connection. These smaller landscape scenes, etched with considerable detail, act as symbolic reinforcements. In emblem books from the 17th century and even the Medieval ages, we'd often see small visual cues—signposts if you like—added in alongside the more overt symbol to guide the reading of the message. So here, these landscapes aren't arbitrary, they help to reinforce the society's underlying values. It might reflect Enlightenment ideas regarding man's dominion over nature through reason and the productive pursuit of science and craft. Editor: True. Viewed from that angle, one could argue it elevates "labour" itself to an intellectual ideal! This artwork prompts so many questions about who it seeks to enfranchise and exclude. I imagine there might also be ways the motto connects, or fails to connect, to its contemporary moment within a history of scientific thinking, labour organization and economics, as well. Curator: It’s amazing how much visual information can be gleaned from a seemingly straightforward piece of typography! It becomes almost an almanac, referencing back to preceding trends in intellectual thought, and hinting towards a certain cultural disposition amongst those who identified with such symbolic imagery. Editor: A lot to think about. Next time I feel inadequate, maybe I’ll come look at this to remind myself of my labour's virtue! Curator: Indeed. Thank you, this was truly fascinating.