Titelprent van Boek 4 van De Ystroom (1671) van Antonides van der Goes 1671

This etching is the title print from Book 4 of Antonides van der Goes' "De Ystroom", created around 1671 by Romeyn de Hooghe. De Hooghe was working in a Dutch Republic that was flexing it's economic and artistic muscle. This piece overflows with mythological figures and pastoral imagery which speaks to the values and tastes of the Dutch Golden Age. The Ystroom, or IJ river, flows as a source of life and commerce through Amsterdam and the scene brims with figures who seem to revel in it’s abundance. But look closer, and we see that all of this abundance is founded on the backs of enslaved people, and the exploitation of natural resources abroad. These idyllic scenes also promoted an idea of Dutch superiority and dominance. The imagery of classical mythology was often used to legitimize contemporary power structures, linking Dutch identity with the grandeur and legacy of the ancient world. But maybe these prints also betray the anxiety of empire. Either way, the piece compels us to reflect on the complex relationship between power, representation, and identity in Dutch art and society.