Handelsetiket van Nicolaes de Ram c. 1681 - 1740

This Handelsetiket van Nicolaes de Ram, or trade label for Nicolaes de Ram, was created by Isaac Vincentsz van der Vinne, sometime before the artist's death in 1740. Seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe saw the rise of mercantilism. Individuals with capital amassed large quantities of goods from around the world to sell for a profit. The trade label became a way to brand one’s business. We see the initials N, D, and R for Nicolaes de Ram enclosed in a heart. A crown rests above his initials. Together with the olive branches, these symbols seem to convey that de Ram is trading for the glory of the nation. These businesses were the foundations upon which modern institutions like museums and galleries were built, since the accumulation of great private wealth made possible the collecting of art. The trade labels themselves are now collected by museums and libraries as historical documents. The social historian uses these images as sources for understanding commerce, cultural values, and institutional history.