Vijf zeilschepen op zee tijdens een storm after 1640

Johann Wilhelm Baur made this etching of five ships caught in a storm at sea sometime in the first half of the 17th century. The Dutch had become a major maritime power, both commercially and militarily. The sea had become the highway of global capitalism, but it was also recognized as a place of danger. Images such as these played a crucial role. They both celebrated the power of Dutch ships and served as stark reminders of the unpredictable and destructive power of nature. Visual codes of maritime identity helped to solidify the nation’s identity and sense of itself. Art historians draw on shipping records, trade statistics, and weather reports to help us understand the real-world context within which this image was made. It is a reminder that the meaning of art is always contingent on the social and institutional context that surrounds it.