De vuurtoren 1617 - 1660

Matthieu van Plattenberg, who also went by Montaigne, made this etching of a lighthouse sometime in the mid-17th century. The image evokes both the crucial role of maritime infrastructure in the Dutch Golden Age and the very real dangers faced by sailors. Notice how the lighthouse itself is quite small on the left. The artist directs our attention to the ships struggling against the waves. This wasn't simply a neutral depiction of a tempest. Sea travel in the 17th century was a high-stakes gamble. Fortunes could be made or lost, and lives were often on the line. What was the social and economic status of the individuals on the ship? How might their class or status impact the narrative? To understand this image better, we would want to research Dutch maritime history, the economics of trade in this period, and the artistic conventions around marine painting. Works of art are documents of social life.