Voorsteven en boegbeeld van een zeilschip 1800 - 1801

Curator: Here we have an engraving dating from around 1800, attributed to Joseph Coiny. It’s titled "Voorsteven en boegbeeld van een zeilschip," depicting the prow and figurehead of a sailing ship. Editor: My first thought? Intricate! Look at the level of detail. I am captivated by the labor that must have gone into making that wood carving come to life, not to mention translate into print. Curator: Absolutely, and these figureheads weren't just decoration. They served a social purpose, projecting power and national identity on the seas, becoming symbolic displays of a country's ambition during a period of intense colonial and naval competition. Editor: Speaking of purpose, consider the material conditions. Where did that timber come from? Who were the carpenters? What kind of tools and expertise made possible the transformation of raw material into this very ornate… declaration? Curator: Well, ship building in this era depended on access to vast resources often secured through trade and sadly, through colonial exploitation. Figureheads visually expressed status and sometimes were related to trade associations. Editor: True, the entire vessel was designed as a manifestation of the society's ambitions, and even reflected cultural norms related to hierarchy. Curator: This print allows us to see beyond the romantic notions of sailing, exploring the global impact that building those massive vessels required. Editor: For me, seeing this piece foregrounds an examination into the complex web of materials, labor, and trade behind naval power. It grounds the object into an investigation into how that power actually came to be. Curator: And through that power, what stories were told? And for whom? This small engraving helps us examine how imagery promotes ideals. Editor: Exactly. By focusing on production, we unearth the tangible connection to the people, processes, and networks behind a symbol of maritime ambition. It is powerful in its subtlety, in that it causes us to pause, if only to reconsider the labor it involved.