Blad met zinnebeelden op de veldtocht van Lodewijk XIV in 1672 1672

Curator: Here we have a fascinating print entitled "Blad met zinnebeelden op de veldtocht van Lodewijk XIV in 1672" created in 1672 by Romeyn de Hooghe. The Rijksmuseum is its current home. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Stark. And strangely…binary? The division of the sheet and mirrored composition feel less like harmonious design, and more like visual polemic. What do we see reflected in these opposing fields? Curator: On each side there's a vignette above a poem, what they call a “klink-dicht” or rhyming verse. One is titled "Sinne-Beelt voor den Koning," and the other "Bericht van den Hemel aen den Koning," meaning "Emblem for the King" and "Message from Heaven to the King," respectively, both addressing Louis XIV’s campaign. The text seems central. Editor: Yes, but I can’t help being drawn to the heraldic devices at the top. Each crowned shield is flanked by figures. But the figures themselves—a sort of angel and satyr combo, and then lions rampant—feel fraught with internal symbolism. And below them there are storms raging. Curator: It is the baroque style; De Hooghe wasn’t afraid of ornament and drama. The emblems appear to contrast worldly power and divine decree concerning the king's military actions. If we unpack that a bit more, the choice of light and darkness adds another layer, a semiotic contrast to the images above. Editor: A clever observation. The chiaroscuro definitely highlights a battle between good and evil forces surrounding Louis’s campaign. Curator: Indeed. And that use of visual allegory was incredibly effective in political prints like these during the Dutch Golden Age. The arrangement emphasizes opposing sides of a debate… Editor: Almost like two sides of a single argument. One grounded in earthy symbolism, the other referencing heavenly judgment. Food for thought! Curator: Precisely, which showcases how period artwork of this quality manages to encapsulate complex themes so beautifully.