Aanval op de wederdopers in het stadhuis, 1535 1629 - 1652

Editor: This is a print titled "Aanval op de wederdopers in het stadhuis, 1535", or "Attack on the Anabaptists in the City Hall, 1535." It’s an etching by Pieter Hendricksz. Schut made sometime between 1629 and 1652, and it's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It's a very detailed historical scene…What do you see when you look at this work? Curator: Immediately, I see an investment in depicting the *means* of this attack. The etcher lavishes attention on the material presence of armor, spears, and especially the cannon. These objects weren’t simply *present* at this historical event, but they actively shaped it. Editor: So you're saying the artist is highlighting the weaponry? Curator: Precisely! Consider how the etching process itself—the physical labor of incising lines into a metal plate— mirrors the violence depicted. Each line represents an action, a decision, a trace of labor invested in portraying the means of repression. What effect do you think this has? Editor: I guess that the technique reflects the historical importance and physical dominance shown within the image. Curator: Right, and this isn’t just about immortalizing a battle. This etching was made during a time of intense religious and political conflict. It would have served as propaganda, a visual reinforcement of the prevailing power structures. Consider also the labor involved in disseminating these images; who profited from it and who bore the brunt of its message? Editor: So it becomes less about the event itself and more about who’s producing and consuming this representation of it? Curator: Exactly. It’s about unveiling the materiality and political context behind its creation. Hopefully that allows us a bit more space to be skeptical when considering similar portrayals of such intense sociopolitical turmoil. Editor: This reframing helps highlight how embedded such violent imagery can be with wider production and consumerism in society, and also highlights their persuasive, or perhaps, manipulative power. Thanks for your time and insight!