Hôtel de ville bij het bal aangericht ter ere van koningin Victoria, 1855 1855

Editor: Here we have Jules Worms’s 1855 ink drawing, “Hôtel de ville bij het bal aangericht ter ere van koningin Victoria, 1855,” which depicts the ball at the Hôtel de Ville in honor of Queen Victoria. It has an incredible sense of grandeur, capturing the spectacle of the event. How do you interpret this work? Curator: For me, the most striking element is the visual encoding of power and cultural exchange through symbolism. Consider the grand staircase. It isn’t merely an architectural element, it's a stage upon which national identities and social hierarchies are performed. Each figure, each ornament, whispers something about the complex dance between England and France during Victoria's visit. Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t thought of the staircase itself as a symbolic space. The figures on it almost seem like they're enacting a play. Curator: Exactly. Now, think about what the artist chooses to show, and more importantly, what's left out. What emotions are conjured? What kind of memory is the artist creating? How does it connect with or deviate from existing visual representations of power, royalty, and international relations during the 19th century? This all impacts the work’s symbolic value. Editor: So, beyond just a historical record, it's an interpretation filtered through Worms's own lens and the symbolic language of the time. The flamboyance is intended. Curator: Precisely. And recognizing that symbolism allows us to engage more deeply with history. It’s about the echoes of the past reverberating into the present. Editor: I never thought about how much encoded information can be found even in just a pen sketch, especially in terms of symbols. Thanks for shining a light on that! Curator: Indeed. The enduring strength of an image resides in its symbolism; It’s cultural memory captured in lines and shapes.