Schouwtoneel van den oorlog (blad XXVIII), 1727 1727

Leonard Schenk created this print titled 'Schouwtoneel van den oorlog' in 1727. It gives us a glimpse into the political theater of 18th-century Europe. At first glance, this print might seem like a straightforward record of historical events, but I think it reveals so much about the power dynamics of the era. Each scene presents a different perspective of war. Schenk's meticulous details of royal ceremonies, contrasted with scenes of conflict, underscore the vast social stratification and the human cost of political ambition. The question of who gets remembered in history, and how, lingers in the scenes of both celebration and mourning. The print serves not only as a historical document but also as a commentary on the spectacle of power, inviting us to reflect on whose stories are told and whose are erased in the grand narrative of war. How does Schenk frame war, and what does it tell us about how people made sense of it at the time?