History is a fascinating subject. Especially if you communicate it well. The Commissie Ontwikkeling Nederlandse Canon (Commission for the Development of the Dutch Canon) aims to safeguard the fundamental knowledge of Dutch history. But how do you go about doing that; communicating history in an appealing way?
Edenspiekermann designed a wallchart for classrooms. It stands out due to its clear timeline and iconographic graphic style. This is the first time important historic events have been depicted in such an overseeable fashion. And as such, the Canon makes history itself.
Edenspiekermann was handed 50 images. We put them onto a wallchart in a logical and identifiable way over a period of 5,000 years. By placing the subjects along a timeline with the centuries marked out, an overseeable whole was created which whets the curiosity of the (young) viewer for the stories behind the images.
The website www.entoen.nu provides an explanation of each picture and invites discussion and additions. The very appropriate name of this website was also provided by Edenspiekermann.
The Canon has been discussed and debated extensively in the media and by historians. The iconographic visual style was copied in advertisements for months. This was exactly what the Commissie Ontwikkeling Nederlandse Canon had in mind: a convenient guide which elicits debate and appeals to people. As our view of history changes, the Canon can and must continue to be updated.
