Spotprent op het Verdrag van Fontainebleau, 1785 1785 - 1786

Curator: I'm immediately drawn in by the almost sterile atmosphere. The high contrast engraving gives this image a crisp, almost surgical feel. Editor: This is a print from between 1785 and 1786. The Rijksmuseum holds this anonymous piece, titled "Spotprent op het Verdrag van Fontainebleau, 1785"—or, a caricature regarding the Treaty of Fontainebleau. Curator: The chess-board floor and formal clothing of the figures really anchor it in that late 18th-century moment. This interior design seems meant to portray opulence and order. But there’s something deeply unsettling here. Editor: Absolutely. Beyond the aesthetic choices, let’s look at the historical context. The Treaty of Fontainebleau attempted to adjust alliances and territories in Europe, specifically concerning the Dutch Republic. Prints like these were critical tools for shaping public perception of international politics. Curator: See how everyone seems to be carefully positioning themselves around the table? It feels less like a negotiation, and more like characters acting out their part of a carefully orchestrated scene. What really strikes me are the almost mask-like expressions on each figure, that really makes you wonder if they were trying to mock and expose a power struggle. Editor: You know, there's something very interesting in that, particularly the central figure handing over a piece of what appears to be cheese. Consider how that simple piece of cheese—or perhaps curd—on the table takes on loaded meaning in the hands of each of these characters. Is it symbolic of power, wealth, or maybe even something more base and transactional? Curator: Exactly! And in this depiction, the very room they occupy, with all its implications of neoclassical taste, turns into a stage on which national characters reveal themselves, either heroically or farcically. The message, perhaps, is not about politics itself, but how political events and spaces influence a country's self-image. Editor: Indeed. This little engraving uses stark contrasts and well-chosen imagery to convey very loud claims, doesn't it? It acts both as historical record, and scathing review, capturing the performative nature of these international dealings.