De Nederlandsche Pool-expeditie, 1882-83 1886

This is the title page from "De Nederlandsche Pool-expeditie, 1882-83", by Maurits Snellen. The open book presents a study in contrasts, the left-hand page featuring a portrait. The figure is rendered in soft gradations of tone, his pose relaxed, with light catching the planes of his face. The right-hand page uses sharp, precise typography, framed by delicate, ornamental borders. The book's design reflects a tension between the romantic ideal of exploration and the scientific pursuit of knowledge. The portrait, with its emphasis on individual character, suggests the human element of the expedition. In contrast, the title page emphasizes the expedition as a formal, organized endeavor. The structured layout conveys a sense of order and control. Consider how the juxtaposition of image and text, the individual and the institutional, might reflect the complex motivations behind such expeditions, then and now. The structure here invites us to consider the relationship between humanity's desire for discovery and the systems we create to understand the world around us.