Proclamatie van de Prins van Oranje bij zijn aankomst in Scheveningen, 1813 1813

Editor: So, this poster, "Proclamation of the Prince of Orange upon Arrival in Scheveningen," is from 1813. It looks like a printed broadside. There’s a striking sense of formality about it, all that dense text, like a legal document made public. How should we consider its social impact as an object in that time period? Curator: Well, think about the material conditions of its production. Print was still relatively expensive, making this a deliberate act of disseminating a particular message to those who could access it. The typography itself is key. Note how the large, bold font emphasizes Willem Frederik’s name and the appeal to "Waarde Landgenooten!" — valued countrymen. The scale suggests this was meant for public display, almost a performance in material form. What does the physical presence of this proclamation tell us about the Prince's strategies for legitimizing his rule? Editor: I see your point. So it’s not just the words, but the conscious *making* and distribution that held meaning? Was there a sense of "high" art versus this kind of populist form, like craft versus fine art? Curator: Exactly! It challenges those boundaries. Consider this less as "art" in the traditional sense and more as a piece of carefully engineered political messaging produced for mass consumption. The material, the printing, the distribution – they all worked together. The labour involved – from typesetting to physical placement – it was a manufactured, constructed moment. Was it aimed at a specific group, or everyone? Editor: Well, it seems primarily aimed at literate citizens, so perhaps the wealthier merchant classes whose livelihood and connections would serve William best... Curator: Precisely! The text itself talks about restoring commerce, speaking directly to their material concerns. And who benefitted from that restoration? It really pushes us to understand not just *what* it says, but *how* it operates within the web of social and economic relationships. Editor: That's really fascinating; it's more about who could read it and the means of getting the Proclamation to them than any fine-art context we're trained to find. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, and in considering the historical material production we find what may be intentionally obscured within its proclamatory text. Thank you for bringing these questions to the work today!