Tijdvers op de eerste vergadering van de Oeconomische tak van de Maatschappij der Wetenschappen te Haarlem, 1778 1778

Noach van der Meer II created this print in 1778 to commemorate the first meeting of the Economic Branch of the Society of Sciences in Haarlem. It depicts a classical scene of allegorical figures in a landscape, embodying the spirit of Enlightenment thinking that swept through Europe at the time. The Dutch Republic, with its burgeoning merchant class and intellectual curiosity, was at the forefront of this movement. Scientific societies were founded to promote empirical observation, critical reasoning, and the application of knowledge for the betterment of society. The image creates meaning through its classical imagery, associating the new economic society with the wisdom and progress of the ancient world. To understand this work better, one might research the history of the Dutch Republic in the 18th century, the rise of scientific societies, and the visual language of allegory. Through such historical contextualization, we can see how art reflects and shapes the values of its time.