Het Kleed van Dwingelandij ca. 1701-1713 1701 - 1713

Curator: Here we have “The Robe of Tyranny,” an engraving dating from about 1701 to 1713. Its creation is attributed to an anonymous artist. Editor: Tyranny? My first thought wasn’t tyranny… it was Mardi Gras! He’s dressed head to toe in what looks like a map gone wild. It's baroque bordering on the ridiculous. Curator: Quite. This print satirizes Louis XIV, depicting him in a robe embroidered with conquered territories. Each numbered location on his garment refers to a specific city or region he seized. Editor: So the “robe” is the emblem of his… kleptomania, I guess? And that little guy with the lantern peeking in the window – who is he, the resistance? He looks like a character who just wandered off the set of "Pirates of the Caribbean". Curator: He represents, in symbolic form, other European rulers monitoring Louis XIV’s actions, casting light on his power grab, as it were. The print speaks to anxieties about French expansionism during the War of the Spanish Succession. The text below the image also emphasizes Louis XIV as a taker. Editor: It's a visual feast. And dark humor! Who knew political commentary could be so… gaudy? Curator: Indeed, the exaggerated ornamentation serves as a powerful tool for criticism. Prints like this were key to shaping public opinion, particularly in Protestant countries opposing Louis XIV's ambitions. Editor: Looking closer, each miniature scene tells a story. It reminds me of those tiny illuminated manuscripts, but weaponized with political bite. The composition, this dense network of tiny conquests and one oversized King, it just perfectly captures the excess and audacity. It makes me want to go create something equally pointed. Maybe embroider a protest banner. Curator: The Robe of Tyranny gives us a snapshot of propaganda during a pivotal period in European history, as well as its clever adaptation to popular culture, allowing broad dissemination of ideas and viewpoints about royalty. Editor: Thanks for shedding light on that, Curator! It's a great reminder that art can be a wickedly effective weapon.