Schouwburg van den oorlog (blad VIII), 1707 1707 - 1722

This print, Schouwburg van den oorlog, was made in 1707 by Pieter Schenk. The printmaking technique is engraving, meaning the image was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then transferred to paper. The sharpness of the engraved lines gives the scenes a crisp, detailed quality, which served a very specific purpose. This print is part of a series depicting battles and sieges during the War of the Spanish Succession, and it’s meant to inform and impress viewers with the scope and scale of these military events. Consider the labor involved: the engraver meticulously cutting each line, the press operator producing numerous copies, the distributors getting the prints into the hands of the public. In a pre-photographic era, engravings like this were a primary means of disseminating information and shaping public opinion. Schenk’s print testifies to the power of reproducible media in shaping perceptions of war and politics. It reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are the product of skilled labor, and are tied to wider social and political contexts.