Personificaties van de Oostenrijkse Nederlanden en Frankrijk 1757

Jan Wandelaar created this print, Personifications of the Austrian Netherlands and France, around 1747. The central figures are allegorical, embodiments of nations, laden with symbols. Consider the rooster, a proud emblem of France, juxtaposed with the lion, traditionally representing the Austrian Netherlands. These animals aren't merely decorative; they evoke a visceral sense of national pride and identity. Above, Mercury, winged messenger and god of commerce, carries a letter, a symbol that echoes through time, from ancient Roman reliefs to modern corporate logos, signifying communication and exchange. Note the gesture of the personification of France, finger to the lips, a pose that appears in countless Renaissance paintings of allegories of Prudence or Poetry. It is a motif that speaks volumes about the transmission of cultural memory. The act of pointing to a word connects to a need to communicate and share knowledge, that resurfaces, evolving in meaning. Such symbols are not static; their meanings shift, accumulate, and transform across generations. In this context, they highlight the interplay of power, knowledge, and identity.