Seminarie en gymnasium te Lingen in Hannover opgericht door Willem III, ca. 1697 1697 - 1699

Curator: This engraving, circa 1697, by Romeyn de Hooghe, titled "Seminarie en gymnasium te Lingen in Hannover opgericht door Willem III" depicts the founding of a seminary and gymnasium. Look at the incredibly detailed rendering. Editor: Wow, the sheer volume of people and architectural details feels overwhelming at first glance! It has this dreamlike quality—almost like a stage set buzzing with Baroque energy. Does it feel celebratory to you, or a bit...stiff? Curator: I think it's a planned representation of power and social organization more than pure celebration. The location, Lingen, in Hannover, underscores the political ambition of Willem III as well as the Dutch focus on structured education. We are witnessing the construction of knowledge as social structure. Editor: The framing almost mimics a proscenium arch, right? With all the allegorical figures lounging about in the foreground and that swarm of cherubs. I wonder what life would've been like strolling through that busy courtyard with that formal yet busy building just constructed? Curator: Precisely! The medium, engraving, becomes vital. Printmaking enabled widespread dissemination of such carefully constructed images that cemented both the reality of the new academy but also Willem’s largesse and position. Every print like this becomes an enactment of cultural power. Editor: I keep getting pulled in by those tiny human figures down in front, seemingly oblivious to the symbolic weight of the scene. They're almost cartoonish in their everyday actions. Like little wind-up toys amidst the grand, stately gestures surrounding them. Curator: Consider the labour and artisanal practice invested in the engraving. Every figure is methodically etched into the plate; the human endeavor present throughout the making mirrors the academy's own production of learned men and the broader imperial designs of education and power in the late 17th century. Editor: It's a layered image—visually rich and historically thought-provoking. It reminds me that power dynamics are built and shown from buildings to the tiniest etched lines in this picture. Curator: It provides a moment to reconsider these works, to view not just "art" but sites of concentrated social meaning and intent.