Standbeeld Maagd van Nederland, Nieuwe Markt, Rotterdam 1915

Curator: This photographic work by Sebastiaan Alphonse Van Besten captures the “Standbeeld Maagd van Nederland” or "Statue Virgin of the Netherlands" in Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Markt around 1915. It seems like a slice of everyday life unfolding around a national monument. Editor: Yes, there’s a peculiar stillness to the composition, yet bustling activity around the edges of the public space. The lighting and aged quality gives a sepia-toned timelessness contrasting the quotidian presence of the figures. Curator: The statue itself, rendered in a neoclassical style, acts as a powerful symbol. The Virgin of the Netherlands, wielding a sword and shield, is a cultural memory, embodying resilience, national pride, and perhaps a nod to historical battles for independence. The imagery blends civic duty with feminine strength, a common archetype. Editor: I’m interested in how this photograph participates in solidifying a specific visual vocabulary around national identity. Monuments are never neutral; they tell a particular story shaped by the political forces behind them. A powerful female figure, in a martial pose, suggests the nation ready to defend itself. Curator: And look closely at the secondary figures around the pedestal; smaller sculptures appear to be other significant civic or historical characters adding multiple layers of narratives and figures which support the primary allegory. In addition, one sees daily lives going on around and under the statue at the same time, making for interesting juxtaposition. Editor: Precisely. There’s something striking about the ordinary interactions of the townsfolk juxtaposed with this grand symbolic statement. You see a man on a ladder perhaps cleaning a streetlamp and two young men enjoying a street game in front of the statue; so everyday existence is in direct dialogue with this embodiment of national mythos. Curator: We can also see a strong interplay between art and public space, creating a focal point and communal gathering ground with cultural identity woven into daily interactions. Editor: Thinking about photography's role during this period, it's compelling how these images helped disseminate and reinforce cultural values. Consider the role of this picture as both an art object and as a public document helping to further the monument's position in the national imagination. Curator: So the symbolism embedded within and its resonance echo throughout history, taking new form with shifting societal moods, still connecting with core notions about national heritage, values and identity. Editor: A monument isn't just stone; it’s an evolving story. Van Besten’s photograph shows how art is both a product of its time and a lasting reminder of the ideologies we project onto it.