Praalbed van koningin Maria II Stuart, 1695 1695

Editor: This engraving from 1695 depicts the body of Queen Mary II Stuart lying in state. The room is crowded with mourners. It feels so staged, and distant. What can you tell me about the context surrounding this work? Curator: It is staged, isn't it? Think about the performance of grief, and power. The death of a monarch, especially a female monarch, becomes a moment ripe for the consolidation and display of patriarchal power structures. This wasn't just about mourning Mary; it was about controlling her narrative and leveraging her death to solidify the Stuart dynasty's authority. Editor: So the performative aspect has a deeper, political implication. How does the imagery itself contribute to this? Curator: Notice the elaborate setting, the draped fabrics, and the posture of the figures. Every element reinforces a visual hierarchy. It speaks to the social structures in place, and perhaps something else -- think about who is included in this scene and, just as important, who is excluded. What does it mean to carefully compose a historical narrative? Editor: It is such an exclusionary perspective, right? Only certain people were allowed close to power, to be memorialized. Now that you point that out, it does speak volumes about 17th-century gender dynamics and courtly life. Thanks! Curator: It makes you question what other biases and narratives might be absent. I found the engraving gave much to think about too.