Eeuwfeest te Leiden, 1776 1776

Curator: This print, “Eeuwfeest te Leiden, 1776,” made in 1776 by Reinier Vinkeles, commemorates a centennial celebration in Leiden. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first thought? A solemn procession frozen in time. The detail is incredible, especially given the monochrome palette, but there's a stillness that feels almost eerie. And are those dogs chasing each other near the crowd? Curator: I agree, that stillness is almost dreamlike. Considering Vinkeles was working during the Baroque era, though the linear style nods towards a neoclassicist approach to commemorating a specific event is fascinating. It allows the viewer an inside view of city life. Editor: Baroque? Line etching actually speaks to a burgeoning print culture and more egalitarian production. We should note the engraver: how long would a metal plate take to incise for so much detailed repetition of figures. It is itself commemorative of a specific class. Curator: Perhaps! You know, when I look at this I ponder what they are feeling. What's the temperature? Is it an exciting parade or are people solemnly commemorating loss from a siege, do the little boys and dogs experience time in a different way than the city officials with the funny hats? Editor: Loss of labor to aristocratic celebration, no doubt! Look at how much fine textile those robes and hats consume! Who is sewing it, dying it, cleaning and caring for the clothes? What about those dogs—they didn't sew their leashes! Curator: Alright, alright, materialist. So if you had to title this something else based on your perspective, what would it be? Editor: How about "Fabricating Ceremony: Labor and Leisure in Leiden, 1776"? It centers the overlooked process. Curator: I think I still prefer the simple directness of "Eeuwfeest te Leiden, 1776", don’t you think there's beauty to seeing history at its face? Though now I have much to ponder. Editor: Point taken. But let’s remember history is rarely simply “at its face.” Examining the seams, so to speak, reveals hidden narratives and who is stitched into the picture.