Wapenschild van Portugal 1723

Curator: Here we have "Wapenschild van Portugal" or "Coat of Arms of Portugal", a drawing rendered in print and engraving, crafted by Bernard Picart in 1723. It's part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: Whoa, Baroque overload! I'm instantly hit by the sheer abundance of... stuff. Like, cherubs, crowns, flags – a whole celebratory clamor meticulously etched. It’s maximalist energy, bottled. Curator: It absolutely is. Picart's baroque style employs an allegorical design. Examining the materials – ink, paper, the engraved line – reveals the intense labor involved in creating such a detailed image, designed for wide distribution as a print. We can appreciate Picart’s mastery, especially noting his proficiency with line work. Editor: Definitely a statement piece, shouting grandeur and power. But there’s also a cartoonish, almost playful vibe. I mean, look at those chubby cherubs, one brandishing a trumpet! Are we celebrating or satirizing? It feels…ambivalent, in the best way. Curator: It could be interpreted either way, and that’s a testament to Picart’s skill in imbuing symbolism and a national emblem with visual tension. Prints like this were consumed as signifiers of status, tools for understanding political and social order. The very act of distributing it makes this image important. Editor: And speaking of consumption, all those tiny details—the armor, the instruments, the flags—become a catalogue of earthly ambition, which somehow humanizes the "history painting." Curator: Indeed, we move beyond simply illustrating to examining the labor of Picart's historical moment. The making itself, and who consumes the art and message. Editor: So, from pen and ink to national pride – or possibly, a sly commentary on it all! I have really shifted perspectives now from an immediate 'busy' impression. Curator: That’s the power of considering not just the final image but its material and societal footprint. We walk away not just admiring the craftsmanship but considering what Picart communicated about 18th-century Portugal and the labor to present it.