Bordspel Doggersbank, 1781 1781 - 1785

Editor: Here we have “Bordspel Doggersbank, 1781,” a game board created by A. Bouwens and held at the Rijksmuseum. It’s an etching and engraving on paper depicting ships circling what I presume is Dogger's Bank. The image is dominated by this circular board, divided into sections like a twisted, nautical roulette wheel. How should we interpret this work purely through its visual and structural elements? Curator: We should start with its arrangement. Observe how the design insists on circularity, a closed system of signs. Ships, repeated and labelled, orbit a central void marked as Dogger's Bank. Consider the binary logic at play. Dutch ships confront their English counterparts in a balanced, almost symmetrical layout. What purpose does this tension create for you? Editor: The circular form gives it an overall balanced tension, with both the ships and language working as elements of opposition that are also complementary to the wheel. Curator: Precisely. Note, however, that within the apparent balance, there's asymmetry. The graphic qualities differ among sections; text density varies, as do the illustrative details of each ship. Such discrepancies create focal points, disrupting total visual harmony. How might the lines and textures influence the movement of your eye across the print? Editor: The varying line weights, like the heavier ropes between sections, do add dynamism, pushing you to focus on the individual vignettes even while taking in the whole. It’s as if the details are pulling you away from the overall structure, which then pushes you to refocus on the overall design of the piece. Curator: Well articulated. Ultimately, it is not only the subject represented, but also its construction that evokes meaning and generates a visual experience within a defined structure. Editor: This approach helps me appreciate how the artist manipulated visual form to create something beyond just the representation of ships.