Plate 51: Members of the court of justice marching in the funeral procession of Archduke Albert of Austria; from 'Pompa Funebris ... Alberti Pii' 1623

Editor: This is Plate 51 from 'Pompa Funebris ... Alberti Pii', created in 1623 by Cornelis Galle I. It’s a colored pencil drawing, depicting a funeral procession. The detail is striking, yet there’s something very stiff and formal about the whole composition. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: The formality you perceive speaks volumes about the function of such imagery at the time. These weren't merely records; they were carefully constructed statements about power and lineage. Note the repetitive use of figures clad in black. What emotions do you associate with the color black? Editor: Sadness, mourning, but also solemnity, even authority. Curator: Precisely. Black, here, functions as a unifier, cloaking individuals and elevating them, collectively, into symbols of the court's enduring presence despite the Archduke’s passing. And what do you make of the elaborate banners and heraldry throughout the scene? Editor: Those seem like proud displays, almost celebratory in a way that contrasts with the somber black robes. Curator: Indeed. It's a paradox, isn’t it? The banners, with their colours and crests, speak to the continuity of power, the family legacy that transcends even death. It suggests that while an individual is gone, the institution and its symbols endure. These images helped shape the cultural memory surrounding the Archduke. How does viewing it make *you* feel connected to that cultural past? Editor: It definitely makes me think about how rituals, even something like a funeral, can be a powerful way to maintain social order and remember history. I see now that the procession is not simply a march but a message, rich with historical memory! Curator: Precisely. It’s in decoding that message that we find this work's true depth and connection to ourselves.