Extract van een privilege 1616

This broadside, made by the Staten-Generaal in 1616, is an official decree, a privilege granted to David Roelandt. It reveals a moment in the history of the early modern Netherlands, a society in the throes of religious and political reformation. The text, densely packed and formally worded, offers Roelandt exclusive rights to print and distribute his "Exempoboeck," a manual on the art of penmanship. What's striking is the state's protection of intellectual property, a concept still evolving at the time. This privilege speaks to the cultural value placed on knowledge and skill but also gestures at the control and regulation of information in a rapidly changing world. The document's materiality—the paper, the ink, the typography—speaks to the printing press's growing power. The broadside acted as an emblem of authority, a tangible assertion of power and a fascinating insight into the intersection of art, commerce, and statecraft in the early 17th century.