Moord op Ulrich van Daun, graaf van Valckesteyn, in opdracht van Francisco de Mendoza begaan 1598

Editor: So this piece, titled "Moord op Ulrich van Daun, graaf van Valckesteyn, in opdracht van Francisco de Mendoza begaan," from 1598 is an engraving on metal. It's quite striking! It appears to depict a murder scene and then, on the other side, some lions. What's your take on this from a curatorial perspective? Curator: Well, considering the material context, we have to ask: what does it mean to produce a piece memorializing violence, crafted from metal? It’s a utilitarian substance transformed into a potent image. This engraving acts not merely as a visual representation but as a circulated commodity. The "means of production" becomes inextricably linked with the production of meaning, doesn't it? Who would've used this? Editor: So, it's not just the image, but the circulation and accessibility of the object itself. So, given the brutal subject matter alongside imagery like the lions, would it be accurate to interpret this object as propaganda from that period? Curator: Indeed! Metal, especially at this scale, isn't your fine art canvas; it speaks to wider accessibility and dissemination. Engravings, multiplied and traded, allow these messages about power to be readily consumed. Does that shift how we see the initial image of the murder? We now understand it as part of this larger, perhaps even state-sanctioned, "brand." Think about who commissioned this object and what their economic interests might have been in portraying this event in a particular way. Editor: I never would have considered the distribution aspect so deeply. So, the material choice really affects the artwork’s message! Curator: Exactly. Examining the process—engraving, printing, distributing— reveals that the true subject might not be the murder itself but the orchestration of public opinion through material means. The medium shapes the message, and the means of production determines its reach and its lasting social effect. I see it as a physical document of cultural and economic tensions. Editor: I see that the selection of a common material, in this case metal, ensured widespread distribution and impacted how individuals understood authority and influence during that era. Thank you.