Toneel ter ere van de Landbouw, 1594 1594 - 1595

Pieter van der Borcht created this print titled Toneel ter ere van de Landbouw, or “Stage in honor of Agriculture,” in 1594. The image shows a highly decorative structure, and the figures depicted evoke classical antiquity. This print was made in the Netherlands during the early modern period when the region was undergoing significant social and political change. The Dutch revolt against Spanish rule was in full swing. Agricultural production was essential to the Dutch economy and to feeding the population, and the print is designed to show agriculture as a source of national pride and cultural identity. The classical imagery gives this concept legitimacy. Agriculture is being presented as a high calling, and the political structures in the Netherlands are presented as the inheritors of a noble tradition. To understand the image more fully, we might turn to texts, pamphlets and other prints that deal with the politics of the Dutch Revolt. This gives us an idea of how art and imagery played a role in shaping public opinion and promoting certain political agendas.