Titelvignet voor: Ordonnantie van de wildernisse, en de houtvesterye van Brederode. Anno 1670, 1730 1730

Dirck de Bray made this title vignette for ‘Ordinance of the Wilderness, and the Forestry of Brederode’ in 1670 and it was reprinted in 1730. The image connects to the socio-political context of 17th and 18th century Dutch governance over land and resources. The vignette creates meaning through visual codes of authority and land management. The title itself, prominently displayed, uses a formal typeface that communicates the importance of this document. The coat of arms suggests noble authority. The image shows timber workers which refers to the controlled exploitation of natural resources. The location of Haarlem would have influenced the artwork: close to forested areas requiring legal oversight. This ordinance reflects the move towards centralized control over resources, marking a transition from feudal rights to more bureaucratic forms of governance. Understanding this image requires looking into the legal history of the Netherlands, and the ways in which forestry was managed. The role of the historian is to research such archives, to investigate how images are tied to social and institutional contexts.