MIlitaire stoet met oorlogsbuit op kar 1660 - 1736

Curator: At first glance, the entire print feels overwhelming with movement. The figures all strain in different directions as if they’re caught mid-action during this triumphant parade. Editor: Indeed! What we're viewing is titled "Militaire stoet met oorlogsbuit op kar," or "Military procession with spoils of war on cart." This engraving by Domenico Rossetti likely dates sometime between 1660 and 1736, reflecting an era grappling with displays of power and conquest. Curator: Looking closely, one can see the meticulous rendering of classical elements, like the figure dressed as Athena with a helmet seated in one of the carts, giving the victory procession a kind of authority. What do you make of its symbolism? Editor: Athena definitely represents more than just martial strength. The statues, the trophies loaded onto the carts – all those are charged with symbolic value. They point towards ideas of justified rule, where warfare is linked to classical virtue and heritage. Curator: Rossetti, through the medium of print, enabled the wide distribution of imagery which was key for solidifying certain values of heroism or conquest among his public. These images contributed to an elevated sense of a ruler's historical legitimacy. Editor: But even in celebrating a leader's grandeur and triumph, you feel the emotional weight from those being forced to pull those wagons. In some way it brings to mind those etchings of slaves working on the pyramids. Curator: Absolutely, these images became crucial tools for monarchs seeking legitimacy through what would have been an easily disseminated message, all accomplished via this readily accessible medium of the era. Editor: Right, Rossetti offers us a stark representation of victory's complex cultural imprint, and raises some crucial questions. Curator: Indeed; the print pushes us to reflect on the multifaceted impact of visual symbolism that's tied into these narratives and stories around power structures that we can re-examine time and time again.