Alongside the preacher’s wagging finger and the farmer’s surly gaze, the merchant’s purse has for centuries represented Dutch identity, both at home and abroad. Trade and commerce have had a special role in the genesis of this stereotype. The Dutch Republic’s economic success in the seventeenth century, though an important contributory factor, is not the whole explanation. The project will problematise the origins and development of this national image by exploring the diverse interpretations of Dutch mercantile activity in early modern times, both by those directly involved and by outsiders, and show the historical, socio-psychological, literary and visual practices that have contributed to the image-forming process. The aim is not only to arrive at a better understanding of this aspect of Dutch identity, but also to make a historical contribution to the research on image-forming processes, which play an ever more important role in today’s world of European integration, globalisation and multicultural exchanges. The period to be studied is the era of the Dutch Republic – 1579-1795. The underlying hypothesis is that Dutch identity was firmly associated with trade both at home and abroad before 1800. The validity or otherwise of this hypothesis will emerge from the findings. Underlying the project is the concept of identity as a temporary resultant of a process whereby attitudes, conduct and ways of thinking are interpreted in a social context of interaction between those directly involved and outsiders.The proposed research thus links up with the debate on Dutch identity that has revived over the past fifteen years. It draws on the fruits of research in the social sciences as well as history and literary criticism, informed by the firm belief that such interdisciplinary exchanges are desirable and should not be blocked by academics’ territorial instincts. Publications: 'Merchants on the Defensive. National Self-Images in the Dutch Republic of the Late Eighteenth Century', in: Margaret C. Jacob and Catherine Secretan (eds.), The Self-Perception of Early Modern Capitalists, New York 2008, p.99-122. Summary. The article is available as Pdf. 'Abraham Blankaart: een literair icoon als antwoord op het vaderlands tekort', in: Joris van Eijnatten, Fred van Lieburg, Hans de Waardt (eds.), Heiligen of helden. Opstellen voor Willem Frijhoff, Amsterdam 2007, p.253-265. Summary. The article is available as Pdf. 'Staging the Merchant. Commercial Vices and the Politics of Stereotyping in Early Modern Dutch Theatre', in: Dutch Crossing 30 (2006) nr.2, p.211-228. Summary. The article is available as Pdf. 'Om de eer van het koopmanschap. De verleiding van het grote geldverdienen op het Nederlands toneel voor 1800', in: Zdenka Hrncírová, Ellen Krol, Nienke van de Waal-Krupa en Heleen Dongelmans-MacLean (eds.), Praagse Perspectieven 3. Handelingen van het colloquium van de sectie Nederlands van de Karelsuniversiteit te Praag op 17 en 18 maart 2005, Praha 2005, p.13-32. Summary. The article is available as Pdf.