In this study, art historian Elizabeth Sutton reads the engravings of Pieter de Marees' Description and Historical Account of the Gold Kingdom of Guinea (1602) as a demonstration of the intertwining domains of the Dutch pictorial tradition, intellectual inquiry and Dutch mercantilism. Sutton examines the book's construction and marketing to shed new light on the social milieus that shared interests in ethnography, trade and travel, ultimately enhancing our understanding of the European imperial enterprise.

Contents: Introduction; Negotiating trade and travel in North Holland; The Description and Historical Account of the Gold Kingdom of Guinea by Pieter de Marees; Analogy and anthropology; To inform and delight; Emblematic map borders; Legacies; Epilogue; Bibliography; Index.

Elizabeth A. Sutton is Assistant Professor of Art History at The University of Northern Iowa, USA.