Prentbriefkaart aan Willem Bogtman before 1928

Editor: This is a postcard reproduction of "The Queen Matilda Tapestry," also known as the Bayeux Tapestry. It's dated to before 1928 and is currently at the Rijksmuseum, after an original textile work that depicts the Norman Conquest of England. It seems to capture a specific moment of struggle, with men and horses mired in what I assume is quicksand. How do you interpret the symbols in this image? Curator: It presents a cultural memory deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. Notice how the scene is constructed; the vertical layering, the division into clear registers with stylized figures. It speaks to more than just a historical event. This imagery becomes symbolic of a struggle, yes, but also of human resilience, the enduring weight of history bearing down upon us. Even the horses partially submerged tell of the costs of conquest, how ambition comes at a price. What feelings do you associate with the flatness of the image and the sparse background? Editor: I guess the flatness emphasizes the inevitability and lack of escape of what is depicted? The repeating motifs and simple shapes almost numb you to the suffering on display. Curator: Precisely. Consider, for example, the borders of the postcard and the ways they bracket the composition of struggle happening between them. Such borders both isolate, and monumentalize a singular narrative within the confines of the composition. Can we say the images and motifs communicate meaning because of or despite the historical realities depicted here? Editor: So, the enduring appeal isn’t necessarily about historical accuracy, but about these deeper, perhaps universal, themes the symbols evoke. Curator: Exactly. These recurring symbols act as vessels, continuously refilling with our evolving understandings of power, loss, and the never-ending push and pull of history. Editor: That is fascinating. Thank you for your insights!