Voorstellingen uit het leven der prinsen Frederik Hendrik en Willem II 1850 - 1881

Curator: Look at this, it's "Scenes from the Life of Princes Frederik Hendrik and William II" created by Dirk Noothoven van Goor between 1850 and 1881. What strikes you? Editor: It has a definite historical quality, very story-book. You can almost hear the murmur of epic tales in its composition. Curator: These prints, originally published in a children's magazine, are rendered with such attention to narrative detail and are essentially little windows onto Dutch history. What could a modern audience take from them? Editor: Well, beyond the romanticism, we can see echoes of power and social hierarchies that have continued to evolve but never fully disappear. Note the scenes of military victories but also of internal intrigue. Curator: Ah, yes, particularly evocative is the capture of Breda, which they achieved by, and I love this, using a boat filled with turf! The Dutch were always brilliantly innovative. I see a series of strategic triumphs, betrayals and intimate moments depicted through each image, with detailed annotations. It feels educational and propagandistic simultaneously. Editor: Absolutely. The magazine's focus on national history speaks volumes about constructing a particular version of patriotism for young minds. These prints tell very carefully chosen stories, which invariably celebrate moments of military success. It leaves very little room for nuance or complexity. Curator: Yet there's a curious innocence to them, wouldn't you say? It's almost naive. As an artist myself, I look for the raw emotion, which is not here explicitly but emerges perhaps between the lines. Editor: Perhaps…Or maybe the raw emotion is there, masked by the necessity to inspire the nation. How power, and the history thereof, is often repackaged. Curator: Food for thought indeed! The intersection between storytelling, art and nation building. A powerful reminder. Editor: Precisely. Art never exists in a vacuum and how we see these prints through a contemporary lens challenges these accepted interpretations.