Titelpagina voor 'Album contenant un plan de la bataille de Waterloo : dressé par le général Baron de Jomini, et 12 vues des environs du dit champ de bataille.' 1846

H. Gerard created this title page for ‘Album contenant un plan de la bataille de Waterloo’ with etching. Its existence speaks to the commodification of war, and to the enduring fascination with specific battles like Waterloo. Consider how the album’s emphasis on a plan of the battle, “dressé par le général Baron de Jomini,” frames our understanding of history. It privileges a strategic, top-down perspective associated with military authority. The general becomes the author, shaping the narrative of war. The album also includes twelve views of the battlefield's surroundings, offering a contrasting perspective, perhaps more aligned with the experience of the common soldier or the civilian population affected by the conflict. This juxtaposition invites us to consider the multifaceted nature of war. How is it both a calculated strategy and a lived experience? Ultimately, this title page prompts us to reflect on the stories we tell about war, and whose perspectives are included or excluded from those narratives.