Monument ter ere van het huwelijk van Nicolaas de Vicq en Maria Jacoba van Riet 1704

Laurens Scherm made this print, a monument to the marriage of Nicolaas de Vicq and Maria Jacoba van Riet, in 1701 in the Netherlands. The image is designed as an elaborate stage set, complete with heavy curtains, sculptural figures and obelisks, to mark and celebrate a very specific social event. In this period, the Dutch Republic was one of Europe’s major commercial and maritime powers, with Amsterdam at its center. This print reflects the self-conscious grandeur of its ruling classes. The artist is employing a kind of visual rhetoric, in which classical and allegorical figures add dignity to a contemporary event. The Latin inscription, the coats of arms and emblematic objects, and the Roman numerals at the base, all speak to the importance of lineage and civic identity in the Republic. This print offers a fascinating glimpse into the visual culture of the Dutch Golden Age. Catalogues, genealogical records and other archives could help us better understand its nuances.