Titelblad van Historisch verhael, band 7 (dl. 19), 1630 1630 - 1632

This is the title page from "Historisch Verhael," volume 19, likely printed in 1630 by an anonymous artist using etching. The composition is structured around a textual cartouche, framed above and below by cityscapes. Notice the use of line and form. Above, the siege of Cassal is depicted with angular fortifications, contrasting with the organic shapes of the landscape. Below, a map of the conquest of Stettin is rendered with precise, grid-like urban planning. These images offer not just geographical data but reflect a worldview. The sharp lines and structured forms suggest a desire to impose order on the world through military conquest. The formal structure mirrors the book’s content: historical narratives framed by cartographic visions of power. The visual language used elevates cities and sieges into symbols of control, framing history through a lens of conquest and spatial dominance. Such imagery invites viewers to interpret the world in terms of power and territorial expansion.