Both Claudia Swan’s lecture and the Monday readings and discussion focused on “everyday” scenes and objects and the ways in which we can see global influences in these depictions. Dr. Swan, for example, focused on ebony: a rare wood from southern Africa and Asia. Through the Dutch use of ebony in cabinets and other objects, scholars can examine the ways in which the country spread its influence across the world. This reminded me of the relationship between China and the Netherlands described in “Introduction: Global Art History and the Netherlands.” In this work, the Dutch adapted Chinese art to fit their aesthetic and historical trends, highlighting important political and economic issues of the time.
I really enjoyed the way Claudia Swan’s lecture emphasized the role colonization and imperialism had in shaping Dutch art and imagery. She took the audience out of Europe and into Asia and Africa, which is crucial in understanding how certain objects and images rose to popularity. She also highlighted the use of emblems and specific visual indicators to symbolize certain ideals. This concept closely reflects the role of St Michael the Archangel in the Stephanie Porras reading. Through iconography, the Dutch spread narratives and cemented their culture across the globe.
Claudia Swan’s four concrete examples of Dutch Imagery gave me a much better picture of the Netherlands’ global networks of trade and influence. I really enjoyed the way she traced the route of foreign objects from their home countries into artistic depictions of Dutch everyday life.