Titelpagina voor de Europische Mercurius van 1724 1724

This title page for the 1724 edition of Europische Mercurius was etched in Amsterdam. As a printed image, its creation relied on a series of processes with social significance. Firstly, the copperplate etching technique requires skilled labor, demonstrating the engraver's technical expertise. The material itself, copper, would have been obtained through global trade networks, reflecting Amsterdam’s position as a mercantile power. The image would have been carefully drawn with needles into the prepared plate, and then submerged in acid to produce the recessed lines that hold the ink. Consider the figures depicted: portraits of European leaders, allegorical figures like Mercury, and the depiction of Amsterdam itself. These images reinforce the publication's focus on European politics and commerce. In this way, the print operates as a form of propaganda, a visual manifesto about the city’s place in the world. By examining materials, making, and context together, we move beyond traditional art historical boundaries, towards a more complete understanding of this print’s cultural work.