Optocht door de rederijkerskamer De Corenaren uit Katwijk-aan-de-Rijn (derde deel), 1607 1607

This etching, "Procession of the Chamber of Rhetoric De Corenaren from Katwijk-aan-de-Rijn," was made in 1607 by an anonymous artist. It depicts members of a Rhetoric Chamber, a kind of literary society popular in the Low Countries during the 15th and 16th centuries. These chambers were typically composed of middle-class men interested in poetry, drama, and rhetoric. As gathering points for civic elites, they often staged public performances that reflected and shaped societal values. The figures, identified by their roles within the chamber, march across the composition, their costumes rich with symbolism. These performances were not just entertainment; they were a platform for expressing cultural identity and engaging in social commentary. Though dominated by men, these chambers indirectly involved women through the themes explored in their performances, which often reflected societal attitudes towards gender roles. The performances often celebrated civic pride, yet they also reveal the dynamics of power and exclusion inherent in these social structures. The print serves as a valuable record of a specific time and place and reveals a community's attempt to define itself through performance and spectacle.