Legenda bij de prent van het gevecht bij Lens, 1648 1648

Editor: Here we have "Legenda bij de prent van het gevecht bij Lens, 1648," made that same year by Pieter Nolpe. It's a print, an etching, and an engraving all on paper. There's so much text! It feels very much of its time, serious and informative, but honestly, a bit overwhelming. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes! At first glance, a deluge of meticulously arranged text. Yet, in this dense landscape, I see echoes of a tumultuous era. Look closely; the stark typography itself becomes a battlefield of sorts. It is like a list of fallen heroes and villains of the time of The Eighty Years' War. Editor: A battlefield of text, I like that! The lists of names, the phrases… it almost feels like a casualty report. So this tells me what the original print was about? Curator: Precisely! Before photography, prints like these served as visual news reports, spreading information - and, inevitably, a certain perspective - about current events. This "Legenda" essentially decodes a larger, more complex image of the battle. Each numbered or lettered entry corresponds to figures or locations in that primary scene. Pieter Nolpe, both artist and vendor, shrewdly provided context to boost sales. The etching would be even harder to grasp without it. Does that help you interpret the imagery? Editor: Absolutely, it re-frames how I see the artwork: from confusing page to a valuable informative item, designed to give context and help viewers understand. So, in a way, this artwork is actually functional! Curator: Indeed. Perhaps more functional than beautiful, at least to our modern eyes. But within it lies a potent combination of art, commerce, and historical record. It's a document as much as a decoration. Editor: I never thought of an artwork as being 'functional'. Thanks, that's given me a lot to think about!