Illuminationsforestilling, foranstaltet af den russiske gesandt i København i anledning af den russiske Kejsers og svenske Konges besøg i København d. 11. december 1721 1721 - 1749

Curator: Here we have "Illuminationsforestilling, foranstaltet af den russiske gesandt i K\u00f8benhavn i anledning af den russiske Kejsers og svenske Konges bes\u00f8g i K\u00f8benhavn d. 11. december 1721," a baroque engraving by Johan Herman Thiele. It's part of the collection at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: Wow, it’s a really detailed and almost overwhelmingly celebratory piece. The composition feels incredibly structured. Is it trying to say something about power? Curator: Absolutely, the piece commemorates the visit of the Russian Emperor and Swedish King to Copenhagen in 1721. Thiele, I think, captured not just an event but the atmosphere of diplomatic pomp. The illuminations, of course, suggest enlightenment, concord... Editor: Right, I'm immediately drawn to the way the engraver packed in layers of symbolism and narrative elements into such a tight space. Like look at those figures representing Victoria! The celebration of diplomacy must have involved significant strategic and political maneuvering. Are we seeing a propaganda piece here? Curator: Maybe propaganda's too harsh. Though, undoubtedly, such imagery served to solidify alliances and reinforce ruling authority. And let's not ignore the overt symbolism: banners of victory, angels heralding the event, the seated figure that seems to be a personification of Peace herself. Editor: Still, I can't help but think about the communities outside this spectacle—those uninvited to the diplomatic dance, if you will. How did these grand displays impact or reflect the realities of everyday life for ordinary people in Copenhagen? Was there resentment? Indifference? Curator: It's that interplay of spectacle and experience that intrigues me as well! To me, this print hints at something truly significant, the careful crafting of public image and power, but the truth remains multifaceted. I wonder about all those who were present that day. Editor: Indeed! And remembering art as a source of power and forgetting to question it perpetuates a vision where that power cannot be harnessed in the right direction. This engraving by Johan Herman Thiele does open so many exciting and provocative avenues for discussion!