Uitvindingen 1850

This print, titled 'Uitvindingen' by Jan Schuitemaker, presents a grid of illustrations that capture Dutch inventions and discoveries. The print is structured around four vignettes, each rendered with detailed linework, and each occupying a quadrant of the composition. The images celebrate elements of Dutch ingenuity: peat extraction, herring curing, land reclamation via windmills, and book printing. The artist carefully balances each scene, ensuring that no single image overpowers the others, and the linear quality gives the print a sense of industriousness. These framed depictions of progress speak to a broader Enlightenment ideal—the ordering of knowledge and the celebration of human achievement through technology and innovation. The very act of framing these scenes emphasizes human control over nature and knowledge, presenting them as discrete, manageable subjects. It invites viewers to reflect on the cultural values embedded within the artwork.