Ocean-going ships were key to rising maritime economies of the Early Modern period, and understanding how they were built is critical to grasp the challenges faced by shipwrights and merchant seafarers. Shipwreck timbers hold material evidence of the dynamic interplay of wood supplies, craftmanship, and evolving ship designs that helped shape the Early Modern world. Here we present the results of dendroarchaeological research carried out on Batavia’s wreck timbers, currently on display at the Western Australian Shipwrecks Museum in Fremantle. Built in Amsterdam in 1628 CE and wrecked on its maiden voyage in June 1629 CE in Western Australian waters, Batavia epitomises Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or VOC) shipbuilding. In the 17th century, the VOC grew to become the first multinational trading enterprise, prompting the rise of the stock market and modern capitalism. Oak (Quercus sp.) was the preferred material for shipbuilding in northern and western
Openings and Closings: December 16 to December 22 Elizabeth Lanza
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, New Jersey.
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, New Jersey
As we begin to hunker down for the holiday season, there are several online exhibitions that offer excellent ways to enrich your free time. One of such exhibitions is the Princeton University Art Museum’s
th-Century Dutch Painting, which examines the art that consumed a newly independent Dutch Republic. Although the works were often representations of landscapes, the sea, or were still life tableaux, they were also fictions meant to project notions of prosperity. The paintings were also often made at a small scale, allowing them to fit into the homes of the nascent Dutch upper-middle class. In order to see these calculated portrayals of the hopeful future of the Dutch Republic for yourself, check here to access the online exhibition.