Willem van Oranje verneemt het nieuws van het ontzet van Leiden, 1574 1822 - 1845

Curator: This engraving, made sometime between 1822 and 1845, depicts a pivotal moment during the Eighty Years' War. The artwork by Valentijn Bing is entitled "Willem van Oranje verneemt het nieuws van het ontzet van Leiden, 1574," which translates to "William of Orange Learns the News of the Relief of Leiden, 1574". It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The immediate impression is one of controlled chaos—a bustling church interior with figures reacting in highly theatrical ways. The monochromatic palette adds a solemn gravitas, like a memory etched in shades of grey. Curator: The artist emphasizes this feeling with distinct spatial symbolism: on the upper levels, a stoic minister behind a pulpit surveys the scene, embodying moral authority, while below, an elaborately decorated canopy mirrors the upper pulpit, asserting both divine and political powers intertwining. Editor: Absolutely! It is staged beautifully. I notice that the eye is immediately drawn to William of Orange himself, posed in the center like a baroque saint receiving divine news, but there is something almost… performative about it. It’s as if the artist is presenting us with an idealized, almost theatrical interpretation of events. Curator: He's clearly a focal point—but one mustn't overlook the figure kneeling to kiss his boot! It serves as a classic signifier of fealty. However, that action underscores Orange's leadership, but also reminds us of the social hierarchy and the stakes involved. Editor: Do you think it glorifies warfare too much? Everyone looks rather calm, I wonder what those in Leiden went through. Curator: It's undoubtedly romanticized to bolster the national narrative in later eras; keep in mind, this was produced centuries later! But looking closely at the recipients of this momentous announcement, they look either grateful or in distress at witnessing such news. Editor: Ultimately, though, it is the emotional complexity captured in their faces that humanizes this grand historical narrative, even now. Curator: A cultural symbol that continues to have significant weight today. Editor: It makes you wonder, which symbolic scene is now being set. Thank you.