Officer And The Laughing Girl Summary

Name :MD I HOSSIN

Professor: Andrea Boffa

Course Name : HIST 108G

Date: 02/26/2017

ART AND GLOBALIZATION IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

Timothy Brook’s remarkable book blends art with the emergence of global trade in the seventeenth century. Using six paintings of Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, the writer examines the impact of changing international relations, particularly in the realm of trade, on art. The title chapter of the book discusses the painting called Officer and the Laughing Girl and analyzes how the painting opens up window to the global trade connections of the seventeenth century. According to the author, a painting is different from a photograph in that the former is a deliberate attempt of the painter to not

just capture a single moment in time but they also contain secrets that only the painter is aware of. These secrets can later on transpire in the form of various interpretations.
Brook has chosen Vermeer’s paintings to elucidate the global trade connections of his time because of various reasons. First off, Netherlands of the seventeenth century had central importance in the global commerce, mainly because of the famed Dutch East India Company. It was a place where according to the seventeenth century philosopher Descartes one could find all the commodities and all the curiosities one could wish for. The writer examines the connection between Vermeer’s paintings and the emerging global connections during the age which he calls the Age of Innovation and Improvisation. This was the age that followed the Age of Discovery and preceded the Age of Imperialism. New sea routes for trade and consequent conquest had opened or were opening and international travel and trade was increasing. This the author elucidates with the example of the Dutch East India Company that was established at the beginning of the seventeenth century and was responsible for thousands of individuals travelling and migrating to the far flung corners of the world. The writer’s approach is to link this newfound enthusiasm of international trade with the artistic depictions of life in Europe, more specifically with the paintings of the Dutch life by Vermeer. The connections that he focuses on in the chapter “Vermeer’s Hat” are between Europe and North America that are directly linked to the conspicuous felt hat in the discussed in the chapter. The painting shows a soldier, probably a member of the Dutch militia involved in the liberation of Netherlands from the Spanish Empire, courting a young woman. In the background, we can see a map called The New and Accurate Topography of All Holland and West Friesland which celebrated the Dutch struggle for independence. But the aspect that becomes the central point of argument is the felt hat made of beaver under-fur. The chapter discusses the entire European incursion into the North American continent and the emerging trade of beaver fur between the Europeans and the Native Americans that, in this particular case, culminated in the production and fashion of the felt hat made of beaver fur.
The method employed by the writer is clearly something quite unique in that it provides us with the dynamics of the international trade and cultural interaction that influenced the works of art of the age, the paintings of Vermeer in this case.

It is unique in a sense that it does not talk about the direct impact of the changing international trade scenario on art, which is what is usually done, but discusses the indirect impact of this trade on the art. For example, the immediate cause of the felt hat in the painting was the prevailing hat style in the Dutch society which underwent various changes through the seventeenth century. But the felt hat made of beaver fur would probably not be found in the painting had the Europeans not successfully negotiated beaver fur trade with the Native Americans. This success caused increase in the production of these hats in Europe which gave rise to a fashion statement and a status symbol, a display of which we see in the

painting.
The relation between the officer’s felt hat and the trade connections between Europe and North America is certainly compelling and apt. In this wave of emerging globalization, the European incursion into North America was led by Samuel Champlain. The book discusses his travels along the St. Lawrence River and his forging of trade and strategic alliances with Native American tribes of Algonquins, Montagnais, and Hurons against the common threat of Mohawks. The cross-cultural interactions between the Europeans and the Native Americans are described at various places throughout the chapter. For instance, there is a serious disagreement between Champlain and his Native American hosts about the most appropriate war tactics. Champlain faces considerable difficulty in getting his point across about the best way to deal with the enemy. His purpose was to break the back of the enemy once and for all so that the trade routes are permanently secured for the French. The Native Americans, on the other hand, were fighting simply to inflict humiliation on the enemy and establish their superiority for the time being. Champlain’s goal, as the author says, “was to establish an unassailable position for the French in the interior” (37). Similarly, Champlain is annoyed with the superstitions of the Natives, such as their reliance on dreams and their practice of human sacrifice (36).
One of the most interesting and decisive factors of this interaction between the Europeans and the Native Americans was the French arquebus. This revolutionary weapon made the size of the army much less important. What mattered now was to equip the soldiers with the right weapons. Champlain’s army and his allies clearly had this advantage and that sealed the fate of their opponents. Not just in the North American conflict, the arquebus also played decisive role in the Spanish conquest of South America and other conflicts in the world during the same time, such as the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.
Brook in this chapter, after giving a preliminary description of the fur hat in the painting, details the North American exploits of Champlain.

What drove Champlain’s onward march was his ultimate desire to find a secure route to China. China had always fired the western imagination as a land of abundance and opportunity. The known trade routes around Africa and South America were not only long but also patrolled by the enemies. Champlain hoped to find a land route to China travelling across the North America. He did not succeed but his endeavors allowed him to establish a monopoly over the beaver fur trade in Europe. It was this trade of felt hats made of beaver fur that eventually became a feature of Vermeer’s

painting.
The arguments of Brook throw light on the relation between Vermeer’s paintings and the emerging global trade and connections. The arguments backed by the relevant examples are certainly compelling and allow us to see the works of art in a much broader context. For instance, in the absence of Brook’s remarkable book, one might have simply ignored all the factors behind the shape and make of the soldier’s hat. At most, one might have linked it to the prevalent style of the Dutch society and new standards that probably emerged out of the Dutch war for independence. But what caused this particular hat to be made of beaver fur? Why did felt hats made of beaver fur remained in vogue and even increased in popularity despite the fact that beaver population had drastically declined in Europe? How did the exchange of weapons for fur between the Europeans and the Native Americans impact their relations in North America? The chapter provides insight into these critical questions that are worth discussing from historical as well as artistic perspective. Linked with that is the additional insight into the emerging trade relations between the Europeans and the Native Americans and the military alliances to secure the trade routes. In a sense, there is an entire history of interaction between different cultures and global trade to which the painting of Vermeer opens a window for the viewer. The viewing of global trade links developing in the seventeenth century examined through the lens of art is a worthwhile approach that can certainly be applied to many other works of art. The book is a remarkable insight into the initial stages of globalization when the boundaries were opening up and extensive travels were becoming increasingly common.

Works Cited
Brook, Timothy. Vermeer’s Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World. Bloomsbury Press. 2008.