Titelblad til "Regnskab til de herrer participantere, for ovenstående af de nordiske rigers mindesmærker" 1793

Editor: So, this is Georg Haas's "Titelblad til 'Regnskab til de herrer participantere, for ovenstaaende af de nordiske rigers mindesmærker,'" an engraving from 1793. It feels very formal and restrained, almost bureaucratic, but the imagery suggests a certain idealized vision of monarchy. How do you interpret this work, considering its historical moment? Curator: This print is a fascinating artifact of its time, saturated with the ideology of late 18th-century Scandinavian neoclassicism. It is, in essence, a piece of royalist propaganda aimed at reinforcing existing power structures by subtly presenting the monarchy as rational and just. Look at the way it uses classical motifs; what effect does that aesthetic choice create in your mind? Editor: I see how the use of those motifs sort of elevates the monarchy by linking it to ancient empires of order and stability. Curator: Exactly. But we must also consider the rising tide of revolutionary sentiment sweeping Europe at this time. This print, in its embrace of neoclassical ideals and its explicit inscription, subtly pushes back against those threats. It frames the Danish and Norwegian monarchy as uniquely enlightened, in harmony with reason and virtue, and therefore worthy of continued support. Can we read it as a kind of plea for solidarity, directed at the educated elite who were likely consumers of such printed material? Editor: That makes a lot of sense. It’s trying to create a sense of shared cultural values and national identity connected with the monarchy. So the "Regnskab" is a record, a statement, and a defence, all in one! Curator: Precisely. By understanding the complex interplay of artistic style and political context, we can decode its potent ideological message. What a lot of pressure for this print to convey. Editor: It really highlights how even seemingly straightforward images can be loaded with political significance. Thanks for pointing out all the complexities.