Stamboom van het Huis Nassau en de prinsen van Oranje van de Huizen Orange, Baux, Châlon en Nassau Possibly 1840

This is an undated print by an anonymous artist, charting the genealogy of the House of Nassau and the Princes of Orange. The work employs a rigorous structure to convey complex relationships. At first glance, one is struck by its intricate network of lines and rectangles, organized hierarchically. The rectangles, each containing names and titles, are interconnected by lines that map out the family's lineage. The artist orchestrates a dance between order and complexity, inviting viewers to navigate the elaborate, linear structure that seems to follow a kind of rigorous logic, yet also sprawls across the surface. The formal presentation is not simply a tool for conveying information; it reflects an approach to history itself. The artist uses the structure to challenge fixed meanings. By visualizing the fluidity of lineage, the artist presents history as a dynamic process of transmission and transformation. This genealogy is not merely a record of descent, but a study in the interplay of power, identity, and representation across time.