Doop van prins Willem Frederik, 1772 1772

In this 1772 engraving by Simon Fokke, we are presented with a scene of formal elegance that captures the baptism of Prince William Frederick. The composition is structured by the grandeur of the church interior, where vertical lines of soaring columns and arches intersect with the horizontal expanse of the assembled crowd. Fokke uses delicate lines to define form and texture, creating a sense of depth and scale. The ornate details, from the clothing of the attendees to the architectural embellishments, reflect the values of the period. This artwork can be seen as an exercise in visual rhetoric, where architectural and figurative elements combine to express power and social structure. Fokke’s engraving serves not only as documentation but also as a constructed representation of authority. This complex interplay of form and cultural meaning invites reflection on the ways in which art communicates ideology and preserves memory.