Karel de Eenvoudige verleent Dirk I de titel graaf van Holland, 922 1747 - 1749

Pieter Tanjé's engraving depicts Charles the Simple bestowing the title of Count of Holland upon Dirk I in 922. Dominating the scene is the motif of the document, a symbol laden with the power to transfer authority and legitimacy. The document is a cultural artifact, but in the context of its symbolic power it traces back to ancient Roman and Egyptian uses of inscriptions and seals for decrees. Note how the handing over of this document, as a visual echo of other scenes of powerful leaders passing down divine or legal authority, resonates deeply in our collective memory. It reminds me of images of Moses receiving the tablets, a recurring pattern in history. Consider how each subsequent interpretation has been passed through generations, evolving over time and accumulating a rich layering of cultural meanings. The scene plays out through archetypes of the ruler, his court, the subject, and his army. It's this constant recurrence and reinterpretation that allows us to see the past in the present.