Audiëntie van de nieuwe Nederlandse ambassadeurs bij Lodewijk XIV, 1714 1714

Editor: So, here we have Pieter Schenk's engraving from 1714, titled "Audience of the new Dutch ambassadors to Louis XIV." It's fascinating to see this grand, theatrical scene rendered with such precise detail. But the overall mood is almost…stiff? How do you interpret this work? Curator: Ah, stiff! A great starting point, don’t you think? Think of it as a meticulously choreographed dance of power. It reminds me a bit of watching a highly formalized ballet, beautiful in its execution but emotionally restrained. The artist wants us to understand the importance of the meeting but with an underlying coldness... like observing insects through glass, yes? Editor: Insects, exactly. But where do we see the evidence for the coldness? Is it in Louis’s expression? Or perhaps the neat gridded tiles of the palace? Curator: Well, his countenance, yes, certainly detached but it's more in the overall composition: look at how Louis, perched atop his dais is isolated stage left in this almost theatrical room, set off in opposition of the ambassador's cohort of almost scurrying diplomats entering the court. The setting is grand and ornate, but something is quite strange in these rigid movements... Do you see it too? Editor: I think I do! They appear… constricted. They're small figures in a huge palace. A palace with the King perched far apart on the throne and curtain, observing all those who crawl before him. Curator: And remember the engraving style too - its about replication of official information, to show all this spectacle on the grandest scale across Europe. Perhaps our feelings of discomfort is tied up into the ritual of royal reception, the spectacle of it all on display. Editor: The grandeur versus the reality, I guess. That’s definitely changed how I see it now. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure!