Bericht over de lijkstatie van Wolter Jan Gerrit baron Bentinck, 1781 1781

Editor: So, this is "Bericht over de lijkstatie van Wolter Jan Gerrit baron Bentinck, 1781," created in 1781 by Jacobus Kok. It appears to be a printed announcement, perhaps a poster, detailing the procession for Baron Bentinck’s funeral. It feels very formal and structured, almost like a military order. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful articulation of social hierarchy and the performance of grief within a highly structured society. Think about it: this isn’t just a notice; it's a script for a public demonstration of power and status. The meticulous listing of participants – from "6 Aanfpreekers" to "6 Koetsen agter de Begraafenis" – highlights the rigid class divisions of the time. How does the emphasis on titles and roles strike you? Editor: It's very striking! Almost as if the funeral isn't just about mourning an individual, but also reinforcing the established order. Is that typical of Baroque sensibilities? Curator: Precisely. The Baroque, especially within a Dutch Golden Age context, often used visual and performative displays to legitimize authority. But I also want to push us to think about what this "order" conceals. Who is absent from this list? Whose labor and lives made this spectacle possible? The servants, the enslaved people attached to these wealthy families. Consider this document as both a historical artifact and a site of erasure. What narrative is missing? Editor: That makes me think about the actual work that went into organizing and staging something like this. And about how the absence of certain groups reinforces their marginalization. It's definitely more than just a funeral announcement. Curator: Exactly! It’s a window into the social, political, and economic power dynamics of the 18th century. This piece invites us to consider the unacknowledged labor and the inherent inequalities masked by the grandeur of such events. Editor: I see that now. Thanks! I hadn’t considered all of those layers at first glance.