Italië. - 23,000,000 inwoners 1850

This print of Italy, including a map and architectural scenes of Rome, Naples and Pisa, was made by Jan Schuitemaker as part of a series of educational images for youth. Looking at this print today, it is easy to see the visual codes and cultural references Schuitemaker employs to convey meaning. As an educational tool, the print not only maps Italy geographically but also socially, offering landscapes of Italian culture and its urban centers. The inclusion of architectural sites like St. Peter’s Basilica and the Leaning Tower of Pisa evokes a sense of historical grandeur and cultural richness. But who has access to this richness? Examining such works necessitates a historian’s approach, using a variety of research resources such as period publications, maps, and demographic data, to reveal more about the ideologies that underpin such images, and to allow us to reflect on art’s contingent meanings within its social and institutional contexts.