Penning tegen de wreedheden bedreven in Brabant, 1789 1787 - 1790

Editor: This is an engraving called "Penning tegen de wreedheden bedreven in Brabant, 1789," dating from 1787 to 1790. It’s by an anonymous artist, rendered in that distinctive old engraving style. The top part looks almost like a dark fairy tale. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s potent, isn't it? Almost feverish. You see this wasn’t just art; it was political messaging, weaponized! Look at the top vignette – the 'massacres des innocents' rendered with such… theatrical violence. What leaps out at you about those figures, though? Editor: Well, one's wielding an axe… it has animal features almost…wolf-like? And there is a group of human people near to a figure cloaked and sitting on the bench. Curator: Exactly! The wolf embodies oppression, hacking at the symbolic representation of Justice, perhaps? Notice she's shielding those...innocents. It is dripping with allegorical significance. Editor: It's a really clever coin - if a bit grim. There are layers. What about the bottom image with the lion? Curator: Ah, the roaring lion – a symbol of the oppressed people rising up in fury, the word written around reads "*furieux*", like unleashed rage. The artist clearly aims to evoke feeling, to get people fired up! Do you feel it does? Editor: It definitely feels urgent, yes! It makes me think about how we use art to comment on politics today. Curator: Exactly! Editor: And those old printing and engraving skills... Curator: There's an entire universe encapsulated in this little piece, reflecting the tumultuous spirit of the era.