De tien plagen voor Frankrijk volgens de voorspellingen van Mr. Bickerstaf voor het jaar 1708 1708

Editor: So, this piece is called "The Ten Plagues Predicted by Mr. Bickerstaff for France in the Year 1708." It's by Carel Allard, created in 1708, and displayed at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a mixed-media print on paper. Honestly, it feels more like a chaotic prophecy than a calculated artwork, with this sunburst of text radiating from the center. What do you see in it? Curator: That "chaotic prophecy" vibe is spot on. For me, it’s like stepping into a 18th-century meme. Remember, 1708 was smack-dab in the middle of the War of the Spanish Succession, with France on the ropes. This isn’t just art, it’s visual propaganda, cleverly disguised as a mystical forecast! Allard's borrowing from the language of astrology and prophecy – the popular Mr. Bickerstaff was a parody of a well known astrologer created by Jonathan Swift – to poke fun at Louis XIV’s France. What do you make of the central image, that sunburst you mentioned? Editor: Well, each ray has different text. Is each ray supposed to represent one of the ten plagues? Curator: Exactly! The "ten plagues" are more like ten political and economic disasters about to befall France, cleverly disguised in biblical language to drive the point home to those literate enough to read it. It uses familiar tropes to mock France, to stir up resentment during wartime by using humor. The small figure looking through a telescope perhaps suggesting that France’s future, as divined through astrology, is grim. Quite sharp, wouldn't you say? Editor: I hadn’t considered the propaganda element so directly. It definitely changes how I see the whole piece, less a historical artifact and more a satirical jab. It makes me wonder how effective it was back then. Curator: Exactly! These types of works offer us an intimate glimpse into the zeitgeist and give the history books some personality. It’s exciting to imagine its impact. So much to unpack!