Toestemming tot illuminatie bij de geboorte van prins Willem V, 1748 1748

This printed announcement by Cornelis van Zanten, made in 1748, commemorates the birth of Prince William V. Dominating the page are heraldic symbols: rampant lions and what appears to be a heron or stork in the crest. These are more than mere decorations. Lions, for centuries, have represented courage, nobility, and royalty. The bird may symbolize good luck and fortune, as in ancient times, storks were harbingers of spring and new life. Similar symbols echo throughout European art and history, like lions guarding palace gates from antiquity to the Renaissance. Consider how in ancient Egypt, the heron, or Bennu bird, was associated with rebirth. Here, on this Dutch announcement, we see the recurring motif of hope and renewal, deeply ingrained in our collective psyche. The birth of a prince is not just a personal event, but a resurgence of the state itself. This imagery, triggering primal emotions, binds the viewer to the historical moment, reminding us that history is not linear, but a continuous cycle.