Satirische voorstelling met Catharina II van Rusland, Stanislas II, keizer Jozef II en keizer Frederik II met een kaart van Polen c. 1771 - 1775

Curator: Well, look at this biting satire. There's an angel seemingly blessing this very cynical tableau. Editor: Cynical is right! It’s visually dense, like a recipe with too many ingredients. Very busy; I see some figures bent over what looks like a map. Curator: Precisely. What you're seeing is an engraving by Noël Le Mire, titled 'Satirical Representation with Catherine II of Russia, Stanislas II, Emperor Joseph II, and Emperor Frederick II with a Map of Poland', dating back to the 1770s. Editor: The cake… That's Poland, right? Being sliced and diced? What a visual metaphor! Curator: Indeed. The composition is structured with meticulous attention to detail; each character is rendered with distinct attributes. Catherine, Joseph, and Frederick literally carve up Poland, embodying their imperial ambitions. The seraph above with a trumpet... is she mocking or legitimizing their actions, I wonder? It all seems a bit Rococo, playful, even. Editor: But under that playful surface is a pretty harsh political critique. It's not just the act of dividing Poland that is disturbing, but the almost casual, ceremonial manner it's depicted. Rococo gone rogue. It's pretty dark under all that frothy detail. It feels like the artist is inviting us to recognize the deceptive beauty that cloaks brutal political realities. Curator: It feels as if the artist knew well that these powerful rulers may feel absolutely no moral unease over it, or be wholly aware of the wider reaching implications for that matter. Even if there may be awareness, there appears to be, at least according to this representation of them, a detachedness, and what can feel to me as somewhat akin to sheer, gluttonous greediness. Editor: Looking at the line work itself – the way Le Mire uses varied etching techniques, dense in areas, airy in others – it’s as though he's visually enacting this political drama. The delicate details against the weighty subject matter create a tension. I do have to admit this piece feels particularly… salient today. Curator: Indeed. What at first might feel whimsical becomes a disturbing mirror. Editor: So next time someone tells me "Let them eat cake," I’ll be seeing this! Curator: Absolutely. It gives pause for thought on what such ‘cake’ means, or symbolizes at various junctures of human history.