Moedig antwoord van hopman Johan van den Kornput, de verdediger van Steenwijk, 1580 1788

This engraving was made by Reinier Vinkeles, a Dutch artist active in the late 1700s. It commemorates an event from two centuries earlier: the defense of Steenwijk, a Dutch city, against Spanish besiegers. The process used here is intaglio, where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see how the artist built up tone with hatched lines. As a print, the image could be widely circulated, carrying a political message. And what exactly is that message? Well, look at the material on display. The defender is wearing a full suit of armor. This represents an enormous investment of labor – the mining of ore, the smelting of metal, the forging and polishing. The Dutch Republic was one of the first capitalist societies, and here we see that ethos celebrated. The people are willing to invest time and energy to defend their freedom. This print isn't just an image; it's an artifact of that very spirit.