Allegorie op het huwelijk van prins Willem IV en Anna van Engeland, 1734 1734

Curator: Right, so here we have Claude Duflos’ engraving, "Allegorie op het huwelijk van prins Willem IV en Anna van Engeland, 1734," celebrating the marriage of Prince William IV and Princess Anne. Look at all those tiny, incredibly precise lines! What leaps out at you initially? Editor: Oh, my god, it's so fluffy! Like a cherubic cloud party got formalised for state purposes. All those pudgy babies and that lion with the ridiculously noble mane... It feels like Baroque meets royal PR. Curator: Exactly! It's a total power move in etching form. We've got two coat-of-arms, draped in florals, held aloft by angelic figures... there's Willem represented on the left and Anne on the right. And see the subdued figure crushed underneath—perhaps representing discord vanquished by the union? Editor: Makes you wonder about Anne’s actual influence, doesn't it? Marriages were political chess moves then—what role did she actually get to play besides birthing heirs and looking pretty on coins? This image glosses over all the power dynamics at play in aristocratic marriages, all the negotiation for dowries and control, doesn't it? The crushed figure under William’s emblem is very telling indeed, not exactly subtle is it? Curator: Not subtle at all! It's pure Baroque theatre. Look at the figures—idealized, almost comically staged with maximum symbolism. This wasn't meant to capture reality; it was meant to craft a narrative, a legend of unified power and divine blessing. Imagine seeing this blown up and plastered across Amsterdam! Editor: And that’s the real power, isn’t it? Constructing the ‘official’ story. Engravings like these normalized hierarchies. The masses, I suppose, accepted these portrayals because… well, what choice did they have? The babies with trumpet and olive branch? A marketing team for divine right! It definitely tells you something about society back then, right? Curator: Absolutely. So while seemingly decorative, images such as this held very tangible cultural and ideological weight. The sheer extravagance... a tool for consolidating rule. Editor: Yes, even in the lines of an engraving. Next time I see a royal wedding, I'll remember this. I will expect babies to toot on golden trumpets. Curator: Exactly! Let’s go find a artwork that screams “revolution.”