Bezoek van Prinses Juliana en Prins Bernhard aan Amsterdam 1937 1937

Curator: Looking at this relief, it's hard to ignore its solemn presence. Editor: Indeed. This bronze sculpture by Marinus Kutterink commemorates the visit of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard to Amsterdam in 1937, embodying the classical realism style. It's more than just a celebratory piece, isn’t it? Curator: Absolutely. Considering its creation in the late 1930s, a time of rising fascism and immense social upheaval across Europe, this image is rife with the need to represent stability and tradition within the monarchy and the nation itself. We see a regal female figure with Amsterdam lions and the heraldic eagle. What messages does the materiality communicate to you? Editor: Well, bronze as a material has specific qualities; its ability to be cast makes for an enduring symbolic value; creating an artifact to mark a moment in time and ensure its continued presence is definitely the goal. In terms of social context, bronze-casting foundries employed skilled labor. Consider the production processes embedded in creating an image and how the physical work reinforces the social structure. Curator: And this classical style—drawing on established aesthetic values is not neutral. It intentionally evokes ideals of empire, leadership, and continuity with an imagined historical grandeur at a precarious moment in time, right before the Nazi occupation. Editor: So, we have here labor, craft, and material contributing to an object representing power relations through royal imagery. Curator: Exactly! The 'happy arrival,' as it says, ‘Blijde Inkomste,’ inscribed, is framed in an appeal to national unity and celebration of monarchy precisely when both were profoundly endangered. Editor: Yes, you're right to point out that inherent tension. It reframes it as more than just a tribute to a royal visit. It also embodies the cultural and political anxieties of that era through the very methods of production. Curator: Ultimately, Kutterink's relief allows us to examine both the material reality of artistic production and the complex web of social meanings it carries. Editor: A valuable insight; looking closely reveals its power and layered meanings.