Tekst bij het standbeeld van Willem II, koning der Nederlanden, op het Buitenhof te Den Haag 1853 - 1871

This print, now in the Rijksmuseum, was made by Pieter Wilhelmus van de Weijer to commemorate the statue of King William II in The Hague. It’s an example of letterpress printing, a technique that dominated textual reproduction for centuries. In letterpress, individual characters are cast in metal, arranged into words and sentences, and then inked and pressed onto paper. You can imagine the intense labor involved, setting each letter by hand, and the level of skill needed to operate the printing press. This process makes the print a fascinating artifact, not only as a historical record but as a product of industrial labor. The sharp lines and clear typography speak to the precision of the printing process, while the layout and design reflect the aesthetic values of the time. The print is a testament to the skills of the printer, as well as the social and political context in which it was made. By considering the materials and methods used, we can appreciate the rich layers of meaning embedded in this seemingly simple piece of paper, challenging our conventional notions of art history.