Vers op het beleg van Bergen op Zoom, 1747 1747

This broadside was printed anonymously in 1747, using readily available paper and movable type. Its cheap production allowed for wide distribution during the siege of Bergen op Zoom. The crude nature of the print is telling. It's not aiming for refinement but immediacy. We can see this in the relatively rough impression, and the vernacular language used in the poetic verse. The materiality speaks to the context, a time of conflict and national pride. The process of printing itself facilitated the spread of propaganda, and the crude aesthetic would have resonated with the common people. The use of simple, repeatable technologies in this era reflects a shift towards mass communication, with profound social and political implications. Ultimately, understanding this print involves acknowledging the ways in which its physical form contributes to its message, blurring lines between fine art and printed matter.