Doop van prins Willem Frederik George, 1792 1792 - 1793

This print depicts the baptism of Prince Willem Frederik George, and was made in 1792 by an anonymous artist. The image highlights the entanglement of the Dutch royal family with the Protestant church. This formal ceremony was of enormous symbolic importance for the House of Orange. The artist seeks to convey the solemnity of the occasion and to celebrate the dynastic hopes invested in the young prince. The composition emphasizes the social hierarchy of the event. It shows the elaborate staging of the church interior with the placement of the key aristocratic figures. The accompanying text reinforces this message, naming each of the families who assisted. This engraving can be understood through careful archival research into the religious and political history of the Netherlands at the end of the eighteenth century. This work acts as a historical document, providing a window into the rituals of power.