Propaganda broadside with an allegorical print admonishing the inhabitants of the Dutch Republic to forgive and forget their religious quarrels and disputes, especially those that arose between the Arminians and the Gomarists during the Twelve-Years Truce (1609-1621) and to foster concord again. Some copies have four long verses at the foot explaining the text. They are signed with the name and motto of the author "J. Starter" and "gonst baerd nijd". Its ironic that Starter, Van de Velde or Amelisz. chose to use an image of book-burning as his primary illustration to invoke and symbolize tolerance and reconciliation! The artist of the engraved plate is the famous Jan van de Velde (II) (1593-1641), painter, draughtsman and engraver. He is the son of the Flemish calligrapher Jan van de Velde and the father of the still life painter Jan van de Velde (III).
Without the lower half of the broadside (the explanatory text), but it is lacking in many copies: in the Rijksmuseum copy, the explanations appear to have been printed on a separate leaf and pasted below the etching, so it may have been issued both with and without the explanations. Trimmed broadside, vertical fold. Otherwise in good condition. Muller, Historieplaten 1502; http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.458560.