Bekendmaking van een mislukte moordaanslag op koning Willem III, 1696 Possibly 1696

This print by Daniel de Lafeuille, created around 1696, depicts the announcement of a failed assassination attempt on King William III. The image is dominated by ships, symbols of maritime power and commerce, yet also, in this context, of threat and invasion. Consider how ships, as carriers of both goods and conflict, have long occupied a prominent place in the human psyche. From ancient Greek pottery depicting naval battles to Viking ship burials, the vessel symbolizes journeys, both literal and metaphorical, across the seas of life and death. The multitude of ships here might evoke collective anxieties surrounding political instability. The image reminds us of the precarious nature of power, subtly hinting at the king’s vulnerability and the pervasive sense of unease. This visual motif of ships in formation, poised between promise and peril, carries a psychological weight, engaging our primal fears of the unknown and the potential for disruption. The symbol has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts, underscoring the cyclical progression of cultural memory.