Drie grote zegels en een kleine 1768 - 1796

Curator: Welcome. Today, we’re examining Pieter de Mare's "Drie grote zegels en een kleine," an engraving produced sometime between 1768 and 1796, here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression? There's an understated intensity to these antiquated symbols. They’re meticulously rendered with a clean, almost clinical line, despite their origin in a period of such ornate, demonstrative visual culture. Curator: De Mare created a representation of medieval seals in the style of line engraving. These seals once functioned as powerful markers of identity and authority. So, what kind of statements did these medieval visual cultures make about race, gender and politics? Editor: Certainly, power is key. Considering these are stamps of authority from the Medieval period reproduced as art objects later on, there's a palpable distance, but also a historical echo. They remind us how authority has historically been constructed and wielded. Who did these images seek to empower or disempower? What are their contemporary meanings? Curator: Absolutely. These seals weren’t just identifiers, they were carefully designed performances of power. For example, we see equestrian figures which evokes ideas about who was thought to be entitled to exercise power over other human beings. And you’re right, seeing them here now, divorced from their original function, provokes questions about the lasting legacy of medieval hierarchies. What do you think about this seal damaged by its top portion cut off and the missing segment to the viewer's eye? Editor: It definitely adds a layer of complexity. It draws me in, and speaks to a kind of historical attrition. Authority, while persistent, isn’t absolute. It crumbles, frays at the edges. Perhaps a physical manifestation of systemic shifts that may challenge institutional control? Curator: Perhaps this offers an understanding of contemporary challenges to governance; whether its social resistance, environmentalism or class critique... Thanks for taking the time to share a dialogue on this fascinating commentary on societal controls. Editor: A fascinating insight into art, politics, and societal power!