Personificaties van de geslachten Hannover en Nassau en een orangerie before 1734

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the symmetry; a perfect division of space structured around a central vanishing point. It creates an incredibly ordered, controlled feeling. Editor: Indeed. Today, we’re looking at Jan Caspar Philips’ engraving, "Personifications of the Dynasties Hanover and Nassau and an Orangery,” created before 1734. The print held here at the Rijksmuseum showcases highly symbolic and emblematic imagery relating to power and dynastic union. Curator: The flanking allegorical figures are compelling—like theatrical statues occupying their own alcoves. Notice how their draping contrasts with the geometric rendering of the receding orchard between them, drawing our eye towards a distant vista. Editor: These are classical goddesses embodying different aspects of the ruling houses. One likely represents the vigor and power of the house of Hanover, symbolized by the hunting dog. The other embodies fertility and abundance associated with the House of Nassau, suggested by the ripe oranges she holds. Both stand guard over the central view. Curator: The linearity emphasizes perspective—an illusionistic depth crafted with lines of varying weight. Note the architectural frame. It contains and formalizes the landscape itself. Editor: Beyond their visual interest, these carefully orchestrated landscapes were important for what they symbolized, acting as testaments to power. A healthy, orderly garden meant a healthy, orderly state. The union of these two houses was clearly presented as vital. Curator: Do you find it idealized? Perhaps sanitized even? Everything seems perfectly balanced. Editor: Naturally! Art often acts to advance its patron's goals, even when documenting life. It's a carefully crafted presentation—an idyllic representation meant to cement legitimacy. Consider the text at the top: "Crescent Crescetis Amores" -- “Love grows as she grows.” These marriages were critical for continued authority. Curator: Examining this engraving shows the interesting confluence of the representational and the symbolic that define Baroque artistic thought. Editor: Quite. It reveals the formal rigor that contains, and the conceptual intention that expands far beyond. Thank you for sharing your insight.