Verklaring van de prent met de Clementie van keizer Jozef II aan de protestanten, 1783 1783

This is a 1783 print, an allegorical image whose artist is anonymous, now held at the Rijksmuseum. The print, rendered in black ink on a light background, is divided into two columns of descriptive text, framed by an ornate border that gives it a sense of formal enclosure. This visual structure mirrors the content, which praises Emperor Joseph II for his clemency towards Protestants. The composition is structured around binary oppositions: tolerance versus oppression, freedom versus enslavement, and enlightenment versus ignorance. The allegorical figures are rendered as symbolic forms of expression, with visual signs and textual explanations reinforcing the messages of religious tolerance. Notice how the visual space is organized to create a hierarchical dynamic, with the Emperor positioned as a central figure, while Protestants are depicted as subjects receiving his benevolence. This use of spatial arrangement reinforces the power dynamics inherent in the act of bestowing freedom. Thus, the artwork functions as a piece of political propaganda that uses visual rhetoric to shape public perception.