Optocht met slede te Leiden ter herdenking van het tweede eeuwfeest van het ontzet en de stichting van de universiteit, 24 januari 1776 Possibly 1776 - 1801

Editor: Here we have Jacobus Buys' "Procession with a Sleigh in Leiden Commemorating the Second Centenary of the Relief and the Founding of the University, 24 January 1776," created sometime between 1776 and 1801, using ink, paper, etching and drawing. The greyscale is interesting, and the lines seem so intentional, stiff even. What strikes you about it? Curator: What I notice is the printmaking process used to disseminate this image. Consider the labor involved: the engraver meticulously transcribing the event, making it reproducible. Think about who could access this print? Not the average citizen, perhaps. What does this say about access to representations of civic pride? Editor: That's interesting. It almost makes it a promotional image for the university then, distributed to a specific social sphere. But beyond its dissemination, does the *how* influence how we perceive the *what*? Curator: Absolutely. The etching medium lends a certain formality and precision. Notice how the architectural details are rendered – they emphasize stability and tradition. The cityscape itself becomes a commodity, its image carefully controlled and presented for consumption by the elite. Do you see evidence of that? Editor: I see what you mean. The lines defining each figure and building, despite being in a crowd, are very neat. I guess it gives an impression of established order, in celebration no less. What's interesting is that the materials, drawing, paper, ink, seem so basic, so that the message of stability isn't lost in fancy material. Curator: Precisely. And the mass production by etching speaks to the social context: solidifying a collective identity among a specific social group. Editor: This definitely sheds a new light on how to interpret not just the content, but how it got to us, too. Thanks for the insight! Curator: My pleasure. Considering the means of production brings us closer to understanding its intended audience and its socio-political impact.