Tekstblad bij het einde van het spel om Schenckenschans, 1635-1636 1636

This is a broadside, a single sheet printed in 1635 or 1636. It was created by an anonymous printmaker, using a printing press. Consider that printing was a relatively new technology, and broadsides like this were a form of mass communication, offering news, commentary, and propaganda. This particular broadside comments on the end of the siege of Schenkenschans, a strategically important fortress. Look closely at the dense blocks of text, the decorative borders, and the overall design. The printer would have carefully arranged the type, inked the press, and pulled each sheet by hand. The material qualities of the paper, the ink, and the typography all contribute to the broadside's overall effect. The regularity and density of the type demonstrate both precision, and a sense of urgency. The creation of such a print reflects the rise of a print culture, and a growing literate public, where information was disseminated more widely than ever before. Approaching this image in this way challenges the traditional distinction between fine art and the printed word, emphasizing the social and historical context in which it was made.