Johan de Witt aangevallen en zwaar gewond, 1672 1788

Editor: Here we have Jacobus Buys' pen and ink drawing, "Johan de Witt aangevallen en zwaar gewond, 1672", created in 1788. The scene is chaotic, violent, and disturbing. What details stand out to you, considering the artist’s choices of material and process? Curator: Well, the medium itself – pen and ink – speaks to a certain accessibility of production. It wasn't an elite, costly material like oil paint, and drawing served various functions. Were these drawings intended for a broad audience through prints, circulating information, and potentially shaping public opinion on political events? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the accessibility of the medium. It does make me wonder, who was the intended audience and what impact did images like this have? Curator: Indeed! The labor involved in producing multiple prints would be quite significant. Consider too, the implied socio-economic status of those wielding the swords, their clothing, versus the evident brutality inflicted. Does the artist subtly critique the distribution of power and the spectacle of violence inherent in this historical event? Editor: So you're seeing the drawing not just as a representation of violence, but as a commentary on the social structures that allowed it to happen and the possible exploitation by distributing and witnessing the print? Curator: Exactly. It provokes questions about the artist's own social position and his engagement with the events he depicts, along with the very act of consuming this violent image. What might viewers have extracted, and what sort of effect would it create? Editor: It gives a completely new perspective, it is incredible to consider the different possibilities and questions this work brings up about class and consumption! Curator: Precisely, analyzing this image as a crafted object with material implications unlocks a whole new dimension of historical and social understanding.