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2.1.5: 1585 - 1725 - Illustrations and decorationBook illustrations also contributed to the glory of the Golden Age although its own flourishing period was very short. The period 1600-1635 is considered to be the 'Golden Age' of the illustrated book in the Northern Netherlands. Only in the last decades of the seventeenth century did a revival take place due, in particular, to the work of a number of inventive printmakers. Opposite these artistic high points much that was ordinary and mediocre could be found such as reprints of old plates and second-rate imitations of successful illustrations. From a cultural-historical point of view, however, such visual material is certainly not less interesting. Its scope must, after all, have been greater in many respects than the works of the well-known book illustrators. It is difficult to say exactly how large the production was in the Northern Netherlands. For the period 1575-1700 a figure of 12,500 illustrated books has been suggested. Research of about 250 such books provided almost 2600 illustrations. There was a rapid increase during the first decades of the seventeenth century in the number of illustrated publications: pamphlets and news sheets, historical and topographical works, atlases and travelogues, scientific and military treatises. Aesthetically speaking, emblem books and songbooks take a leading position. The most beautiful have a characteristic oblong format and are provided with illustrations by the best print artists of the Netherlands. Examples are This flourishing period can undoubtedly be partially explained by the decline of Antwerp as a major production centre after 1585 (with the exception of the work of the After 1635, publishers were often satisfied with reissues or copies of older series of illustrations. The leading printmakers were hardly ever employed. The most important publication of those days, the Statenbijbel or Dutch Authorised Version, was not provided with standard text illustrations. Print publishers such as These two artists were also responsible for the revival of book illustrations in the last decades of the seventeenth century. De Hooghe designed about 2800 illustrations. Jan Luyken, who was just as productive, produced, together with his son The flourishing of book illustration in the Golden Age, both in qualitative and quantitative terms, was only possible because of an avid market. Illustrations must have been enormously attractive to large sections of the public. To begin with, illustrations made a book visually more attractive, starting with the title page decoration, which acquired its typical monumental, allegorical form in this period and often served as bait while the prints in the text ensured welcome variety. Secondly, the content of the illustrations was seen as an important supplement to the text. Those unable to travel could gain an impression of faraway places and strange people, of exotic plants and animals. Political and military events at home and abroad were graphically illustrated and, thanks to portraits, one could, as it were, become acquainted with great men of history, with contemporary celebrities and also with the authors of books read. author: Peter van der Coelen |
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