Vreugdezang bij de twintigste verjardag van prins Willem George Frederik, 1794 1794

This print by Ph. van Leeuwen, created in 1794, commemorates Prince Willem George Frederik's twentieth birthday with an elaborate display of symbols. Note the symmetrical arrangement of the orange trees, a motif of prosperity that bookends the written song to the Prince. These trees, symbols of wealth, are echoes of ancient citrus trees, sacred in the Hesperides gardens and a well-worn symbol within royal iconography. See how the cherubs above, holding a garland, reoccur throughout history in the works of Raphael and Botticelli, connecting the classical past with the political present. They are also a reminder of images of playful innocence, but their use here is quite self-conscious, perhaps an expression of a hidden desire for divine favor. Symbols like these have a curious way of persisting, of showing up again and again in different guises throughout history, transformed by collective memory and, therefore, embodying deep emotional and cultural resonances that touch us still.