Titelprent voor de serie Tocht van Karel V naar Tunis 1570 - 1574

Editor: So, here we have “Titelprent voor de serie Tocht van Karel V naar Tunis,” made sometime between 1570 and 1574 by Frans Hogenberg. It's a print, an engraving on paper, held at the Rijksmuseum. Looking at it, I am immediately drawn to how the frame overwhelms the central text. There is something about its density that makes it difficult to read, don’t you think? What do you make of the choice of frame in this piece? Curator: That’s an interesting observation. This "title page for the series Voyage of Charles V to Tunis" uses a rather elaborate, even bombastic frame, doesn't it? It’s typical of the time, of course. But think about its function: a frame is literally meant to highlight what's inside, right? It creates a stage. Here, the swirling figures, the quasi-classical architectural elements... it all adds to the importance, the supposed grandeur, of the event being described. But also to its "official" character, do you see? Editor: I see what you mean about the “official character”. The text describes the military campaign of Charles V, but is that it? Is it really glorifying it, or just providing a chronicle? Curator: It's tricky. Hogenberg, with his background as a mapmaker and printmaker, often walked a fine line. On the one hand, these prints served as propaganda, reinforcing the emperor's image. On the other, there was a market for news, for visual accounts of important events. He’s kind of selling both sides, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely! That tightrope walk between documentation and dramatization, makes it very compelling. It feels much less straightforward than I initially thought. Curator: Indeed. Seeing past the visual spectacle allows a more complex reading of Hogenberg's intentions. Editor: Well, that's definitely given me a fresh perspective. It's more than just a pretty frame around some text; it's a window into the politics of image-making itself.