Tekstblad bij de prent van de Vrede van Breda, 1667 1667

This text sheet commemorating the Peace of Breda was printed in 1667 by Frederik de Wit, a cartographer and printmaker working in Amsterdam. The print celebrates the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The text offers an account of events, recording specific dates and locations with precision. This kind of detailed chronicle had a clear political function in the Dutch Republic. In the 17th century, the Republic was a commercial power, deeply invested in the freedom of the seas. War with England threatened those interests. This broadside presents the Peace of Breda as a triumph of Dutch diplomacy. It defends Dutch interests, but it also serves as a form of propaganda, solidifying support for the government. Looking closely at this print, historians can learn much about the priorities of the Dutch Republic and the ways that printmakers contributed to public discourse in the early modern period.