Balletvoorstelling met watermonsters ervoor tijdens de feestelijkheden op Versailles Possibly 1664 - 1669

Editor: Here we have "Balletvoorstelling met watermonsters ervoor tijdens de feestelijkheden op Versailles" (Ballet Performance with Water Monsters in Front During the Festivities at Versailles), possibly from 1664-1669, by Israel Silvestre. It's currently at the Rijksmuseum, and it's an etching of a fantastical scene! What catches my eye is the somewhat dreamlike and precise detail, creating a contrast with the almost absurd subject. What do you make of it? Curator: Absurd is a wonderful way to describe it! It’s so of its time, isn't it? These kinds of prints were the eighteenth-century version of Instagram, broadcasting royal power and extravagance. Just imagine the sheer scale of the event this depicts! A water ballet with… water monsters. Silvestre gives us this panoramic view, almost like we’re in the best seat in the house – though hopefully, a bit drier. Have you noticed how the artist positions us, the viewer, right in the middle of it all, both inside and outside? Editor: Yes, that tension between distance and closeness is interesting. The little figures give you a sense of immense scale, but it also feels strangely flat. Curator: Exactly! And think about Versailles itself. It wasn't just a palace, but a stage for Louis XIV. Silvestre captured that performative aspect so well; not only showing what was happening, but also commenting on the act of spectacle. A spectacle within a spectacle, almost a dream play of absolute monarchy... What did you learn here? Editor: How context really changes your reading of an image. It is not just what's on the page, but it represents the values that underpinned the spectacle represented on the sheet! Curator: Perfectly summarized! It makes you think differently about social media's modern role of recording performance for broadcasting the aspirational values that people want to be identified with. The layers! Art imitating life imitating art. Fantastic!