De kroning van Willem en Mary tot koning en koningin van Engeland, 1689 1691

Editor: We’re looking at "The Coronation of William and Mary as King and Queen of England, 1689," an engraving from 1691, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It's teeming with figures, all rendered with incredible detail. The sheer scale of the event, the architecture… it’s quite impressive. But with all these tiny people, the work looks like an ant farm of activity to me, even confusing. What catches your eye? Curator: What catches my eye, dear editor, is the theatre of power! Think of it: this image, a print, aims to capture not just a coronation, but the very moment a new era dawns. That anonymous hand scratching away at the copperplate… Were they perhaps trying to fix the moment itself? Baroque loves spectacle and here we have the high gothic arches practically straining to contain all the pomp! Tell me, does that ornate architectural setting help set the stage for power? Or is it something else entirely? Editor: It does feel staged, doesn’t it? Like a carefully constructed…well, narrative. But there's a formality that makes it hard to connect with on an emotional level. So many tiny faces and robes. Curator: And maybe that is the key, dear editor. This isn't meant to be a touching portrait. Instead, we find ourselves in the grandstands of History, watching a transition that aimed to unite a country and ensure Protestant succession. Now look at the people: How do you interpret their solemnity, or lack thereof? Does everyone look appropriately impressed? Editor: Good point, I wasn’t fully appreciating the work as a visual record of a very specific historical turning point, instead of focusing on the figures and what appears to be static solemnity in a crowded setting. Now I think I see the figures within the context of documenting power and religious issues of succession! Curator: Precisely! This engraving transports us. Consider the artist, painstakingly etching lines to immortalize an era. I now feel like I am at this very coronation, my perception entirely guided by this dramatic stage. I feel much more appreciation. Editor: I totally agree. I went in viewing the work only formally, now I have so much to consider about political context, propaganda, documentation, and how that guided even its visual rendering. Thanks for opening my eyes to it.