Geboorte van Jacobus Frans Eduard, prins van Wales 1688

Editor: Here we have a 1688 print currently held at the Rijksmuseum, titled *Geboorte van Jacobus Frans Eduard, prins van Wales* – or, *Birth of James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales.* I’m really struck by the contrast of the intimate scene on one side, against the formal crown on the other. How do you interpret the imagery used here? Curator: It's fascinating how seemingly disparate images converge here. We see the symbolic weight carried by depictions of childbirth contrasted with emblems of power and succession. Childbirth, across cultures, holds powerful significance, from fertility rites to familial continuity. The placement of that scene in such proximity to a crown seems to amplify its meaning and underscore its role in succession. The inscription adds another layer of complexity: What historical understanding does this piece reveal through this use of symbols? Editor: It's almost as if it's stating something beyond the simple birth of a royal! Curator: Exactly. Think of visual communication, where the image acts as text, communicating specific ideologies or political positions. Given that the piece hails from 1688, a year of immense political turmoil in England, what potential message could these symbols convey to contemporary viewers? Editor: So the symbols speak to not just birth, but political strategy. How subversive! It feels like a medieval tapestry. Curator: Yes! Just as a tapestry served as both decoration and didactic device, here we have something small that performs the same function! Perhaps this work encourages the viewer to consider a continuous flow of time through dynasties by invoking these symbolic references to the past and anxieties about the future. What did you learn about the past through the crown and child depicted here? Editor: I now understand how charged even a birth announcement could be! Curator: Indeed. It underscores the powerful emotional and cultural narrative conveyed in art, demonstrating history made meaningful through imagery.