Dapperheid van koning Pepijn de Korte, ca. 751-768 1765 - 1804

Editor: This engraving, titled "Dapperheid van koning Pepijn de Korte, ca. 751-768" by Jean-Louis Delignon, appears to date from sometime between 1765 and 1804. I'm immediately struck by how it depicts what seems like an arranged spectacle—a bull and a lion pitted against each other, with King Pepin seemingly intervening. What do you see when you look at the image? Curator: As a materialist, I'm most interested in the printmaking process itself. Think about the labor involved in creating this intricate scene. Each line, each shadow, was carefully etched into a metal plate. How does that hand-made quality contrast with the grand spectacle it portrays? Editor: I suppose it's like the printmaking process mimics the deliberate arrangement of power in the arena, the king’s display of controlled force? Curator: Precisely. Consider the social context: prints like these circulated widely, making narratives of power accessible to a broader audience. What does it mean to reproduce and distribute images of rulers enacting dominance through staged events? Editor: So, it’s not just about glorifying King Pepin's courage, but also about controlling how that image, and the idea of his kingship, is consumed? The very act of creating and distributing this print is a form of asserting authority? Curator: Absolutely. It's about manufacturing and disseminating an image of power through labor and materials, a tangible manifestation of ideology. The lines of the engraving themselves become lines of power, directing the viewer’s gaze. What does that labor suggest to you about social hierarchies during the 18th century, when it was created? Editor: Thinking about it that way, it brings the focus back to the engraver and their role in shaping perceptions, it adds another dimension to interpreting the work. Curator: Indeed. It is always useful to analyze these elements to comprehend how power and ideology materialize into the everyday.