Aankondiging van de prentreeks over de laatste dagen van Lodewijk XVI door Luigi Schiavonetti 1793

Editor: So, this announcement from 1793, titled "Aankondiging van de prentreeks over de laatste dagen van Lodewijk XVI door Luigi Schiavonetti"—it’s a mouthful, isn’t it?—caught my eye at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a print, essentially advertising a series of engravings about the final days of Louis XVI. There's something inherently haunting about pre-selling images of such a grim historical event. What grabs you when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, absolutely, the pre-selling aspect is fascinating. It's pure Neoclassical marketing of tragedy! Notice how the typography itself is arranged – almost like a legal document, framing these future artworks as historical truth. Schiavonetti, a skilled engraver, aims for fidelity – character, customs, even likeness. It's a promise to subscribers, a morbid promise, of course, playing on public sentiment at the time. Editor: So it's about capitalizing on the public's fascination with Louis XVI’s downfall? Curator: It’s more than that. Remember the French Revolution was HUGE news, disrupting established social order everywhere, a spectacle viewed with horror and fascination in equal measure by audiences throughout Europe, especially in England. Colnaghi & Co are positioning themselves at the forefront, providing this “intéreffans” (interesting) and enlightening series of historical prints. The details are all meticulously planned to create a comprehensive historical artifact and desirable luxury item. Aren’t you a bit reminded of… social media, where people document what they eat and post endless selfies? The difference, in this case, is, as you noted, haunting – death by guillotine. Editor: That makes so much sense! I hadn’t thought about it in that way before. It’s definitely shifted how I view the piece; less an announcement, more a sign of the times, in several senses! Curator: Exactly! And it showcases the power of print in disseminating information, and shaping public opinion, a power that still resonates today. It makes you wonder, what's the 1793 equivalent of 'going viral'?