Acht blanco wapenschilden 1630 - 1672

Pieter Jansz. created this composition of eight blank crests sometime in the 17th century, using ink on paper. The drawing’s pale tonality comes from the ink’s thin application, allowing the paper’s material presence to subtly influence our perception. As a design for heraldry, this work would have been the beginning of a much longer process. Each of these shields would have eventually been hand painted, and possibly enameled or even translated into woven tapestries. The design implies a lot about Dutch society at the time. While the blankness of the shields might suggest the democratization of power, the presence of crowns suggests the enduring appeal of aristocracy. Whether destined for a new upstart family or an old dynasty, the labor-intensive process of heraldry served to legitimize power through craft. Ultimately, it is through considering the material, the making, and the social context, that we come to understand the significance of such designs in the 17th century.