Staatscommissie bij de prins inzake de verwijdering van de hertog van Brunswijk, 1784 1784 - 1792

Pieter Hendrik Jonxis’s print from 1784 depicts the State Commission addressing the Prince regarding the removal of the Duke of Brunswick. The symbols of power are apparent here: the grand architecture, orderly procession, and the armed guards, each element underscores the authority at play. The act of banishment itself is a motif laden with historical weight, echoing the ancient Greek practice of ostracism. Here, the Duke’s removal suggests a societal purging, a collective desire to excise an unwanted element. This act of expulsion has appeared across time, from biblical stories of exile to modern political dismissals. These scenes of rulers and ruled are charged with an emotional tension that speaks to our own subconscious anxieties about order, authority, and the ever-present threat of chaos. And so, this historical moment is not merely an event, but a resurgence of archetypal struggles.