Slag bij Gembloers, 1578 1649 - 1651

Editor: Here we have an engraving entitled "Slag bij Gembloers, 1578," or "Battle of Gemblours, 1578," created between 1649 and 1651 by an anonymous artist. The piece depicts a historical battle scene and is quite busy. What do you see in this work, considering the social context? Curator: This print, though created decades after the event, reflects a very specific politicized memory of the Battle of Gemblours within the context of the Eighty Years' War. Consider who might have commissioned this work, what purpose did this type of visual narrative serve? Editor: Propaganda, maybe? To remind people what was at stake? Curator: Exactly! These images solidified historical narratives, and this one seems to promote the military strength and dominance of the Spanish forces and, perhaps more subtly, served as a warning against resistance. It's interesting how the landscape, although meticulously detailed, seems to act as a stage for the display of power. Note, for example, how different the treatment of the soldiers in the foreground is from that of those further away. How might those represent different aspects of identity? Editor: So, even depictions of history are not objective. The choice of what to show and how to show it makes a statement. The use of visual storytelling to frame a national or political identity. Curator: Precisely. The seemingly neutral depiction of war is actually a careful construction designed to sway public opinion and reinforce a particular power structure. Thinking about this piece in those terms gives us the opportunity to investigate whose perspectives are validated and whose are marginalized within that story. Editor: That’s a different way to look at art! Thank you! Curator: It's important to remember that art doesn't exist in a vacuum, it engages directly with society.