Historisch spel van Waterloo 1816 - 1817

Hendrik Moolenyzer's "Historisch spel van Waterloo" is a board game, printed on paper, inviting us to reflect on a pivotal moment in European history. The game's design is relatively simple, likely achieved through techniques such as etching or engraving, common for reproducing images at the time. The graphic details and typography are carefully rendered, showing a level of skill that speaks to the craft of printmaking as a commercial enterprise, intended for a growing middle class with more access to leisure. The aesthetic choices – the numbered spaces, the central image of leaders, and the decorative border – all contribute to the game's function. But they also subtly reflect the social values of the period, idealizing historical events as a form of entertainment. Looking at it this way, we can understand this board game not only as a source of amusement, but as a material object deeply embedded in its own time, reflecting industrial production, emerging consumer culture, and the social importance of the events it represents.