Wapen van Diderick van Waerdenborch en een leeg wapenschild 1656 - 1699

Curator: Okay, let's dive into this curious print, "Wapen van Diderick van Waerdenborch en een leeg wapenschild," dating sometime between 1656 and 1699. What leaps out at you? Editor: Well, it's undeniably… heraldic. The image shows two coats of arms, one vibrantly emblazoned with color and intricate details and another blank one on the right, next to some handwritten text I can't decipher. I immediately think about legacy, nobility and ancestry. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: Oh, absolutely, the story here lies not just in the filled shield, but the emptiness beside it. Imagine, someone, a Diderick perhaps, proudly displaying their lineage, then, with the blank shield next to it, posing this question "what will *you* do to create your legacy?". It's rather audacious, don't you think? That boldness is right in keeping with that Baroque flair for the theatrical! Tell me, do you think it’s a boast or a genuine challenge? Editor: I’m swaying towards a challenge. It feels more like an invitation, albeit a grand one. As though Waerdenborch is saying, “I've created something – now it's your turn!” The anchors underneath the second coat of arms suggest naval service. I never quite associated heraldry with being that dramatic! Curator: Indeed. Though these Baroque folks had an eye for spectacle, didn't they? What I wonder is who commissioned this print and why. The story etched in the writing there is probably as important as the imagery, eh? I wonder if Diderick himself perhaps had this made as a kind of elaborate calling card? Editor: Now that’s a fascinating idea. This whole thing now has so many additional layers of intrigue. Thanks! Curator: You’re welcome! It always thrills me how much a blank space can whisper to the future.