‘Het hart des Offraers’—The Dutch Gift as an Act of Self-Representation

Broekman, Inge; Helmers, Helmer

doi:10.1080/03096564.2007.11730901

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The States paid 80,000 guilders for this part of the collection before adding a bedstead, accompanying furniture plus four more paintings by Elsheimer, Saenredam and Gerrit Dou (who supplied two, including The Young Mother ) [12]. The city of Amsterdam also provided Charles with a yacht, the Mary while the entire assembly was accompanied by a specially commissioned poem by the Dutch poet, Joost van den Vondel (Broekman and Helmers, 2007, p. 239) [13].…”

Section: The Historical Context: Charles Stuart and The Dutch Giftmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the popularity of iconological interpretation [19], why has the significance of this narrative been largely overlooked? Contextually, the Gift to Charles has been either portrayed as an act of friendship or as a desperate measure by a corrupt regent culture fearful of an Orangist revival (Broekman and Helmers, 2007, pp. 238–242).…”

Section: The Artistic Context: Cultural Commodification and The “Genr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of works making up the offering were bought from the collection of two Dutch merchants and from the artist Gerrit Dou. While the contents of the Gift and the rationale for their inclusion has been previously detailed (Broekman and Helmers, 2007; Griffey, 2011), one work, The Young Mother painted by Dou himself, has remained largely overlooked. This is despite the composition drawing particular praise from the King and Dou being offered the post of Court painter (which was subsequently declined).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The art of propaganda: marketing nationhood through visual imagery

Freathy

Thomas

2022

JHRM

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Purpose During the 17th century, the Dutch Republic sought to project a positive global image centred around the principles of economic endeavour, moral stewardship and military resilience. By illustrating one way in which the country sought to communicate its international position, the paper aims to provide an early example of political diplomacy and reputation management. Design/methodology/approach Pictorial narratives provide an important but often underutilised insight into our cultural, social and economic history. As works of art were considered legitimate and authoritative forms of communication, their importance can lie beyond any aesthetic accomplishment. Using established iconographic techniques, this paper deconstructs and interprets the meaning contained within a specific genre painting, The Young Mother (1658) by Gerrit Dou. Findings Rather than being devoid of meaning, The Young Mother represents a narrative purposely constructed to symbolise the cultural, religious and economic character of the United Provinces. It celebrates success through global trade, innovation and enterprise while simultaneously reminding audiences of the country’s moral and spiritual foundations. Like the patriotic allegory of De Hollandse Maag protecting the sacred space of the hortus conclusus, the painting is a secular representation of the new Loca Sancta. Originality/value While acknowledging that The Young Mother has been praised for its visual qualities, this paper maintains that any broader political significance has been largely overlooked. The analysis and findings therefore offer original interpretations from which new conclusions are drawn.

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Section: The Historical Context: Charles Stuart and The Dutch Giftmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Artistic Context: Cultural Commodification and The “Genr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The art of propaganda: marketing nationhood through visual imagery

Freathy

Thomas

2022

JHRM

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“…The VOC practice of giving gifts to Asian rulers also developed local alliances (Meuwese, 2013), and conveyed messages to both giver, receiver and observers of the exchange, on the political status and relationship of those involved (Birkenholz, 2017: 220). The exchange of gifts with non-Europeans was therefore not dissimilar to the Dutch presentation of gifts to European Princes and Monarchs as a way to enhance the Republic’s prestige (Broekman and Helmers, 2007). The giving of tapestries and paintings, in particular, was built upon a ‘common iconography’ and ‘shared visual language’ of European expansion (Anderson, 2019: 57).…”

Section: The Diplomacy Of the Voc And Eurocentrismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting the expansion thesis: international society and the role of the Dutch East India company as a merchant empire

Blachford

2020

European Journal of International Relations

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This paper breaks new ground by looking at the role played by merchant empires, such as the Dutch East India Company (VOC), in shaping European interactions with the non-Western world. It offers a critique of the English School’s state-centric narrative of the expansion of international society by looking to how the VOC and its expansion in Asia influenced developments within Europe. As a non-state actor, the VOC developed networks of trade and power, which were intertwined with the Dutch struggle against Iberian hegemony. As this paper shows, the development of international law, sovereign equality and European international society needs to be understood as being constituted through these colonial encounters. Looking to the VOC as a merchant empire presents a more nuanced approach to the expansion narrative that recognises that states, empires and early modern companies developed in a co-evolutionary manner. This critical approach calls for the recognition of international society as an ongoing process formed by the contestation of hybrid cultures.

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Dutch Diplomacy and Trade in Rariteyten

Swan

Global Gifts

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‘Het hart des Offraers’—The Dutch Gift as an Act of Self-Representation

Cited by 4 publications

References 4 publications

The art of propaganda: marketing nationhood through visual imagery

The art of propaganda: marketing nationhood through visual imagery

Revisiting the expansion thesis: international society and the role of the Dutch East India company as a merchant empire

Dutch Diplomacy and Trade in Rariteyten

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