Titelpagina voor het prentwerk: Schouwtoneel van den oorlog, editie 17XX 1741 - 1769

This is the title page of “Schouwtoneel van den Oorlog,” or "Theatre of War," printed in Amsterdam in the 1700s by Jan Roman. The composition is dominated by a hierarchy of text, meticulously arranged, with the title words "Oorlog" and "Schouwtoneel" enlarged and printed in a striking red ink. The use of typography creates a visual structure that guides the viewer's eye, moving from the grand announcement of war down to the specifics of King Karel the Second and the historical figures involved. This carefully structured layout, with its variations in font size and color, aims to convey a sense of order amidst the chaos of war. The page serves not just as an introduction but as a carefully constructed semiotic space. Note how the choice of a theatrical metaphor, ‘Schouwtoneel’, presents war as a spectacle. The title page invites us to consider how war is framed, understood, and consumed as a form of cultural representation.