Verklaring bij de allegorie ter ere van de koning van Pruisen voor zijn herstel van het stadhouderschap van Willem V, 1788 (deel 1) 1789

This is an etching by Johannes le Francq van Berkhey, made in 1788. The print on laid paper, now at the Rijksmuseum, initially strikes one as a field of dense text, uniformly presented in a single color against a contrasting background. The symmetrical framing is decorated with an intricate ornamental border. The structural layout invites us to consider how the arrangement and presentation of text function as a visual element. The artist uses the formal structure to create a tableau, one designed to illuminate, explain and celebrate the restoration of the Stadtholderate of Willem V. The act of reading then becomes a process of decoding not just the textual content but also the visual and symbolic language employed. Van Berkhey’s organization of text into ordered blocks can be interpreted through the lens of semiotics, where typography, layout, and decorative elements function as signs. They are all arranged to convey specific meanings and values, which can then challenge fixed meanings and engage with new ways of thinking about space, power and representation.