Titelpagina voor het prentwerk: Schouwburg van den oorlog, editie 1720 1720 - 1722

This is the title page for Pieter Schenk’s “Schouwburg van den Oorlog,” or “Theater of War,” printed in Amsterdam in 1720. Note the prominent use of royal heraldry, particularly the crowns and crests associated with Kings Charles II and Charles III. Such symbols are not merely decorative; they invoke centuries of tradition. We see this across time – from ancient Roman emperors adopting eagles to medieval knights displaying family emblems. These symbols served as powerful visual cues, stirring up loyalties and delineating power. Consider how a seemingly simple crown transcends its material form, becoming a vessel for conveying authority, legitimacy, and divine right. Its appearance in Schenk’s title page is no different. It echoes through history, linking Charles II and III to a lineage of rulers, echoing in the collective memory of governance and power. The crests mirror the psychological need for recognition and belonging. The war is thus given a sense of legitimacy and importance. The iconography of power is ever in flux. The emblems here are not eternal but rather exist in a constant state of becoming, shaped by culture, politics, and the indelible, ever-shifting psyche of humankind.