Aflevering van de 's Gravenhaegse Vrydagse Courant over de begrafenis van prinses Maria Louise, 1765 Possibly 1765 - 1766

This is a page from the 's Gravenhaegse Vrydagse Courant, or Hague Friday Gazette, printed by Stephanus de Groot in 1765. It’s a simple object, paper printed with ink, but it speaks volumes about the moment it was made. Look closely and you can see how this newspaper was manufactured. The ink sits slightly proud of the page, suggesting the use of a printing press, where individual sheets were pressed onto inked type. This was a labor-intensive process, each page reflecting the coordinated efforts of typesetters, press operators, and distributors. Newspapers like this were crucial in shaping public opinion, especially during times of political or social change. This particular edition reports on the funeral of Princess Maria Louise, and gives a sense of how such events were used to consolidate power. The materiality of this newspaper – its cheap paper and mass-produced nature – underscores its role as a disposable yet influential artifact of its time, blurring the lines between art, craft, and social history.