Spel van Waterloo, 1815 1816

This ‘Game of Waterloo’ was made in 1815, and printed on paper by J.B.D. Wibmer. A relatively humble material, paper nonetheless allowed for mass production, mirroring the Napoleonic era’s vast conscripted armies. It's a lithograph, meaning it was printed from a flat stone surface. The imagery is linear and graphic; the spaces form a spiral leading to the center, where Napoleon lies defeated. These types of board games were quite popular in the early 19th century, acting as both a form of entertainment, and a means of disseminating political narratives after major events. The game's structure – a sequence of spaces leading to a clear conclusion – subtly reinforces the idea of a historical march toward an inevitable outcome. While seemingly simple, the production of such an image involved skilled labor, from the artist who created the design, to the artisans who prepared the printing stones and operated the presses. By understanding the material, and mode of production, we see how this game reflects the social and political climate of its time, blurring the lines between art, craft, and propaganda.