Titelprent met Mozes en Aaron 1657 - 1717

Daniël van den Bremden made this print of Moses and Aaron at an unknown date using an engraving technique. Its imagery offers insight into the complex relationship between religion, politics, and commerce in the Netherlands. At the top we see Moses receiving the law, and Aaron in his priestly garments. Yet below them stand Roman soldiers and a crowned king, alluding to earthly power structures. In the lower corners are scenes of ships at sea, reminding us that this power was, in the Netherlands, inseparable from trade and mercantile activity. The Dutch Republic, at the time, was a place in which the Bible was a central point of reference. The image suggests that its lessons could be squared with worldly success, as if God's favor rested on the burgeoning nation. By consulting historical texts, prints, and other archival material, we can better understand the social and institutional conditions that shaped the production and reception of images like this.