Aanslag van Jean de Jauregui op prins Willem I, 18 maart 1582 1855 - 1865

Editor: Here we have "Aanslag van Jean de Jauregui op prins Willem I, 18 maart 1582," an engraving by Johann Wilhelm Kaiser made sometime between 1855 and 1865. It’s quite dramatic! The moment captured is filled with chaos and movement, but what strikes me is the level of detail achieved through the engraving process. What aspects stand out to you? Curator: Considering this engraving through a materialist lens draws attention to the production of printed images, and its relationship to the depicted subject. What socio-political power does Kaiser wield through this engraving medium? How does that contrast with, or perhaps, subtly mirror, the subject it presents? Editor: Interesting! I hadn't thought about the power dynamic in *creating* the image. So, the artist, using the tools of engraving, is making a statement about the attempt on William I’s life and disseminating it, which carries a different weight than, say, a painting commissioned by royalty. Curator: Precisely! The print medium democratizes this scene, enabling mass consumption and shaping public opinion on Willem’s role in that time, which differs from the exclusivity and symbolic weight attached to painting for nobility. Furthermore, consider the labor: the engraver's craft, the printing press operators—a whole industry engaged in reproducing this moment. Who profits? And what meaning is imbued through these processes of production and distribution? Editor: I see what you mean. It moves the conversation beyond just the historical event to the social and economic context in which it was made and distributed. Curator: Exactly! Thinking about the lines etched into the metal, the ink pressed onto the paper, we begin to see the art not just as a representation but as a material object deeply embedded in its time. Editor: That makes me see engravings in a whole new light! It’s about more than just the image, it’s about the whole process and its place in society. Curator: It encourages a wider understanding of the labor and networks shaping our art experience.