Aankomst van Willem V en Wilhelmina van Pruisen bij de Haarlemmerpoort, 1768 1768

Curator: Here we have "Arrival of Willem V and Wilhelmina of Prussia at the Haarlemmerpoort," an engraving from 1768. It depicts a very grand, ceremonial entry into Amsterdam. What strikes you about it? Editor: First impression? Controlled chaos. All these tiny figures, puff of smoke from a cannon, but it's the level of detail in this miniature cityscape—especially the water reflections—that I can't help admiring. Gives the sense of enormousness. Curator: Right, engravings like this were essentially mass media at the time. The printing process meant this image, and the political message it carried, could be widely disseminated and consumed. Notice how the materiality, this black ink on paper, facilitated the creation of shared public experiences and memories of the Prince's entry. Editor: I see it too—how a very calculated royal "event" is captured as art, making propaganda...beautiful? The whole arrival, the fanfare with watercraft parades, firing cannons – its intended for everyone, like performance art happening in real-time. Curator: The city is more than backdrop, certainly. I mean, look at how prominently the Haarlemmerpoort features, practically an emblem of Amsterdam’s power. It shows the way rulers would utilize architectural infrastructure. Editor: Also, these people appear tiny beside these man-made landmarks. It reminds us of something beyond civic architecture; all the commerce in the docks – the mills, gates, all the structures and the infrastructure. Curator: Exactly! You also see the means of labor, those bridges, the milling power – vital things needed in the creation of civic and economic resources that also define life in Amsterdam. The material realities underscore its narrative significance. Editor: It truly transports you...all these details that point toward all the bustling commotion... This single image creates more questions than I have the bandwidth to imagine answering. Curator: Ultimately it is a fascinating convergence of civic, political and creative interests; that shows the many materials we see, as more than symbolic gestures. Editor: Precisely. I was just looking at the aesthetic grandeur, while you took me on this very human and industrial picture. Thank you.