Titelvignet voor: Claas Jansz Vooght, Quadrans astronomicus et geometricus: ofte Een grondige onderwijsingh aangaande 'tmaakzel en 'tveelvuldigh gebruyk des quadrants, 1714

Adriaan Le Duc created this title vignette in 1714 for Claas Jansz Vooght's book about the use of quadrants. We can consider this image in the context of the Dutch Golden Age and the country’s booming sea trade. The image shows a man, presumably Vooght himself, equipped with tools for surveying and navigation, standing confidently by the sea. Behind him are ships sailing on the water. He is dressed in the clothing of a scholar or gentleman. The book was published in Amsterdam, the center of the Dutch Republic’s economic activity and intellectual life. The use of the Dutch language suggests that this book was intended for local practitioners and the rising middle class. The title page gives us not only the author’s name but also the name and address of the book seller. As historians, we can research the lives of both the author and the artist, and the economic circumstances of Amsterdam’s publishing industry, to better understand the book’s cultural significance.