Naues Mercantoriæ Hollandicæ, vulgo, VLIET (A Dutch freighter) 1647

Wenceslaus Hollar created this etching of a Dutch freighter, or "Vliet," as it was commonly known, sometime in the 17th century. This image encapsulates the global ambitions of the Dutch Republic during its Golden Age. As a small nation, the Dutch built a vast commercial empire that depended on mastery of the seas. It’s no accident that Dutch painting of this era is filled with maritime scenes celebrating ships and naval power. They projected a new kind of national identity: one based on trade and technical prowess. Hollar was Bohemian by birth, but he lived and worked in many parts of Europe. Prints like this one were important tools in the early modern period; they helped to circulate knowledge and shape perceptions of different countries. Art historians study such images alongside archival sources like trade records, nautical charts, and political pamphlets to better understand the complex social and institutional contexts within which art is made and consumed.