Testament van koning Karel II van Spanje wordt geopend, 1700 1706 - 1720

Editor: So, here we have Pieter Schenk's "Testament van koning Karel II van Spanje wordt geopend, 1700", created sometime between 1706 and 1720. It's an etching and engraving, with some watercolour washes, I think. It feels like a stage play, with everyone frozen in dramatic poses. What stands out to you as you look at this image? Curator: What I immediately consider is the politics surrounding the imagery of succession. This print, made some years after the actual event, participated in shaping public understanding of a crucial historical moment. Schenk, in choosing this subject, engages in the political discourse of the time. Consider how the scene is staged: Who is included? Who is excluded? The arrangement and portrayal of figures can tell us much about the intended message and the power dynamics Schenk wishes to portray. Do you notice how the room almost divides the figures into opposing factions? Editor: Yes, I see that! Almost like two separate audiences reacting in different ways. Is this piece promoting a specific interpretation of Charles II's will? Curator: Precisely. This print serves as a visual argument, influencing popular opinion about the legitimacy of the Duke of Anjou’s succession. The very act of creating and distributing this image suggests a desire to sway public sentiment, highlighting the potent public role of art during the period. How do you see the artistic style contributing to that aim? Editor: The Baroque style with its emphasis on drama probably exaggerates the emotions of everyone in the room to create a feeling of momentousness. Curator: Exactly. Schenk employs artistic conventions to amplify the political weight of the image. Editor: It's amazing how much information can be packed into one print. I will never look at an etching the same way again. Curator: It’s about seeing art not just as an aesthetic object, but as a product of its time, shaped by societal and political forces, something for both of us to keep in mind.