Image Reincarnation in Early Modern Dutch Illustrated Travelogues

In 1672 two Amsterdam publishing houses produced competing illustrated travelogues by authors Olfert Dapper and Philip Baldaeus about the Indian subcontinent. Both of these expensive, folio-sized books prominently featured full-page illustrations of the Dasávatāra (the ten earthly incarnations of the Hindu god, Viṣṇu). Books featuring illustrations and descriptions of anthropomorphic, multi-armed deities carried high stakes for the publishers and authors in terms of economic success, professional reputation, and intellectual impact not only in the Netherlands but across Europe. This project de... Mehr ...