Allegorie op de Noordse Oorlog, ca. 1658 1659

Curator: This engraving, dating back to around 1659, is titled "Allegory on the Northern War," made by an anonymous artist. It’s part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: It's wonderfully bizarre! An elephant, a bear, a lion... they're all locked in this grotesque, symbolic battle, overseen by what appears to be a very fashionable gent with a spear! It’s utterly arresting and unsettling at the same time. Curator: What’s particularly interesting here is how this piece comments on the political turmoil of the time. The Northern War involved shifting alliances between Sweden, Poland, Russia, and others. The artist uses these animals, as well as eagles, as stand-ins for the various nations involved. Editor: So the lion might be Sweden, maybe? And the poor elephant getting a mauling represents…Poland? It's intriguing how artists used to translate current events into such surreal and often cryptic allegories. It’s almost comical! Curator: It's crucial to analyze the production of prints like these. Engravings allowed for the widespread dissemination of political messaging. We need to examine the artist's technical skill, their access to materials, and the market for such imagery at the time. Also consider who this message might have served! Editor: And there's something undeniably compelling in that very process itself. Thinking about some artist etching away at a metal plate to create this bizarre tableau. The amount of labor is literally etched into the final work itself! Curator: And the text beneath, though difficult to fully decipher without closer examination of primary sources, surely amplifies this political narrative. Print functioned as a visual language capable of complex, nuanced communication across social classes. Editor: It almost makes me wonder what modern conflicts might look like if translated into a bestiary today. Perhaps a standoff between a corporate penguin and a social media unicorn. Who is in the audience? Curator: Precisely, there is even another dimension in considering audience! Let’s not forget consumption practices. Editor: It’s curious to see how such detailed political arguments and sentiments found distribution through printed image and prose. I would definitely not overlook labor and materiality here either. It is great! Curator: Indeed, by considering this, along with context we have achieved an interesting perspective on production and the meaning that can arise from the combination of these factors. Editor: Yes, that approach has opened a channel into a world of long ago conflicts which continue in this arresting allegory and material practice today.