Bericht over de verbranding van een prent van Willem V, 1754 1754

Curator: Here we have an engraving from 1754, titled "Bericht over de verbranding van een prent van Willem V" - "Report on the Burning of a Print of William V" by an anonymous artist, held at the Rijksmuseum. It seems to be a political commentary. What strikes you initially? Editor: Well, the stark black and white really stands out. And it’s dominated by text. The image of the horse and rider in the upper right feels almost secondary, yet important. It’s an intriguing combination of the textual and the pictorial. How do you interpret this work? Curator: From a materialist perspective, I see this print first and foremost as a *produced* object, emerging from a specific socio-economic context. The act of engraving itself—the labor, the skill, the resources— speaks volumes. This wasn't a unique artwork, it was designed for mass production and dissemination, wasn't it? Editor: Yes, certainly! The text implies that it was widely distributed. The burning of the print is also significant; the act of destroying knowledge can speak loudly! Curator: Precisely. The text is central, not merely decorative. The artist intended to spread their message through both words and images and by physically burning this specific rendition of this portrait, those in power were acknowledging a threat to their ideals, their control, perhaps even the Prince himself. The "report" points us toward its reception and attempted suppression, making the material object inherently tied to its political effect. Consider also the economic implications—who was producing these prints, and what motivated them? What about the labour of its distribution and, perhaps most significantly here, its very public destruction? Editor: I never considered the means of production as having so much power itself! I was focusing just on what it depicts and signifies on its own. Curator: The making, circulating, and destroying – these actions are at the heart of understanding art’s purpose within its social sphere. Every artwork, in essence, leaves behind a trail to be followed to really interpret what its intent may be. Editor: I'm walking away understanding how intertwined the medium and message are and how deeply labor practices are rooted in political discourse.