Titelpagina met mannen die geld uitbetalen 1704

Bernard Picart created this title page with men paying out money sometime between 1673 and 1733 using etching techniques. It's an era when economic theory was being developed and mercantilism shaped colonial ambitions. Look closely, and you will see the theatrical curtain that rises to reveal men seated around a table counting money. At the very top, you can make out two cherubic figures blowing trumpets. What might seem like a celebration of commerce can also be seen as a reflection on the social hierarchies inherent in financial transactions. The labor, so essential to the accumulation of wealth, is here absent. In Picart’s time, the theater served as a powerful metaphor for the human condition, where roles were assigned and played out on the social stage. By using a theatrical style, Picart invites us to consider the roles we play in the economic theater, and the moral implications of these parts. Can financial transactions be truly equitable, or are they inherently skewed by power dynamics?