Zeeslag c. 1715s - 1725s

Curator: Well, this looks intense. A chaotic scene rendered in what appears to be thread? Editor: Exactly! What you're looking at is a baroque textile piece titled “Zeeslag,” created by Josse de Vos around 1715 to 1725. Curator: A "sea battle." It's dramatic. You’ve got struggling figures in the foreground, some in a small boat, others flailing in the waves, and then this rather flat depiction of naval combat receding into the distance. I’m struck by how physical it all seems, even as a textile. One can feel the roughness of the spun material but the artistry elevates it. Editor: I see this textile less as a representation of an actual naval battle, and more as an instrument to project power. These tapestries, imagine how they functioned in grand halls, reinforcing the prestige of those commissioning them. Notice the allegorical figures woven into the border, each element a symbol, contributing to a grand narrative. Curator: Absolutely, and it prompts me to consider the labor involved in its production, how this narrative was constructed, literally woven, through the hands of many artisans, a large workshop using dyed threads... it’s quite extraordinary when you think of it as raw materials transformed into propaganda! Editor: That’s precisely where its significance lies! And given the probable commission by some governmental entity to illustrate some naval prowess, you can read this textile also as an archive to comprehend state propaganda campaigns of the 17th and 18th centuries. A way to influence popular understanding. Curator: That top-down manipulation is obvious, of course. But what about the individuals who spent countless hours creating the piece? How did their participation in its making influence how it was made? I bet some were much better weavers than others and had preferred fiber. How did this play into the design? What can these threads tell us about its production and its history of use, in different rooms in different times, and, importantly, different ideologies? Editor: That's a really important avenue of inquiry to reveal its long-term symbolic efficacy. After all, these scenes of supposed strength get re-contextualized by our very interrogation, and how that process helps us decipher history! It has truly shifted my reading of this art piece. Curator: It gives you a lot to consider.