Gezicht op de stad Lissabon 1694 - 1737

This view of Lisbon was made by Pieter van den Berge, likely in the late 17th or early 18th century. It's an engraving, meaning the image was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then printed onto paper. The engraver's art lies in the precise control of the burin, the tool used to cut the lines. Look closely, and you can see how the varying depth and density of these lines create a sense of volume and texture. This painstaking process reflects the value placed on accuracy and detail during the age of exploration and expanding global trade. The print wasn't just informative, though; it was also a commodity, produced for sale in a growing market for images of distant lands. The ships in the harbor remind us of Lisbon's role in this economy, as a bustling port city connecting Europe with the wider world. The image may seem quaint today, but it offers a glimpse into the labor, politics, and consumption that shaped our world.