Vrede tussen de Roos en de Lelie, 1713 1689 - 1713

This print, "Vrede tussen de Roos en de Lelie", was made in 1713 by Romeyn de Hooghe, using etching, a method intimately tied to the rise of mass media. Look closely, and you'll see how the etched lines, so characteristic of this process, define every detail, from the elaborate costumes to the architectural backdrop. But it's not just about aesthetics; the very act of etching, of creating a repeatable image, speaks to the changing social landscape of the 18th century. Prints like this were commodities, part of a burgeoning market for news, propaganda, and entertainment. The artist, in effect, became a manufacturer, producing images for a consuming public. This piece is a potent reminder that art is always embedded in the material conditions of its making. The ability to reproduce and disseminate images widely had implications for politics, commerce, and culture that we still grapple with today. It wasn't just about what was depicted, but how that depiction was brought into being.