De schepen in de baai van Quintero, 1615 1617 - 1646

This print, "The Ships in the Bay of Quintero," was made in 1615 by an anonymous artist using engraving, a process rooted in the skilled manipulation of metal. The image is made entirely of lines incised into a copper plate. Ink was then pressed into these lines, and the image transferred to paper through a printing press. The linear nature of the engraving lends itself particularly well to rendering details like the rigging of ships, the folds of clothing, and even the textures of the landscape. But beyond its technical qualities, engraving had a significant social role. In the early 17th century, prints like this one served as a primary means of disseminating information and shaping public opinion. This scene of ships in Quintero Bay, in what is now Chile, speaks to the booming world of maritime trade and exploration, reflecting the economic ambitions of the Dutch Republic. It also embodies the immense labor and resource extraction tied to this period of colonial expansion. Considering the material and the making, this print is not just an image, but a window into the complex interplay of commerce, craft, and colonialism.