Albumblad met diverse voorstellingen 1814 - 1869

This is a page from an album of engravings, made by Alexander Cranendoncq. It's difficult to date precisely, but it was likely made in the Netherlands sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The disparate scenes on the page speak to the cultural preoccupations of the time. There are vignettes of local life, landscapes, and scenes from abroad. The variety here indicates the widening scope of the world for 19th-century Europeans. In particular, note the image of the Black African man with a spear. The growth of the Dutch colonial empire at this time brought about a fascination with other cultures, but also led to ideas of racial difference that were used to justify exploitation. Looking at an object like this requires us to investigate visual culture, using archives and historical documents, in order to understand better the prevailing ideas, anxieties, and power structures of the time.