Prins Willem III en de prinses varen van Whitehall naar Westminster, 1689 1691

Editor: So, here we have an engraving titled "Prins Willem III en de prinses varen van Whitehall naar Westminster, 1689," created in 1691. It looks like a pretty standard line print...but what catches your eye most about it? Curator: Well, the focus isn't just on the royals. Look at the method of production: this engraving served as a reproducible document. Its value resides in its potential for wide distribution. It’s not just a portrait, it’s a piece of propaganda consumed and reproduced by the masses. The image itself, a meticulously crafted piece of labour, circulates within specific economic and social networks. The paper, the ink, the skill of the engraver, the eventual consumption – it all points to how power is not just represented, but materially enacted and spread. Editor: That’s fascinating, the idea of it being a reproducible document almost like a commodity. Does the artistic style itself—the baroque influence—also play into this materialist interpretation? Curator: Absolutely! The Baroque style, known for its grandiosity, becomes intertwined with the material conditions of its creation and reception. Consider the source of the paper itself—linen rags, a widespread and important source for paper production at the time. The baroque becomes associated with labour through textiles, through shipping. How many hands touched the image before it touched ours? And how does this physical chain impact how its meaning? Editor: It shifts the focus away from just aesthetic appreciation, doesn’t it? More toward how its physical existence shapes meaning and is available and creates social structures around consumption. Curator: Exactly. We must consider its materiality, its production, its social reach. Only then do we glimpse a more holistic understanding of its historical relevance. Editor: That definitely offers a fresh and richer understanding! Thanks so much for sharing.