Lijst van intekenaren voor de serie platen van de begrafenis van prinses Maria Louise, 1765 19th century

Curator: At first glance, it feels…restrained. Almost a whisper. A list inscribed with ink, maybe even faded a bit over time? There's an elegance to it, yet it also feels distant. Editor: Precisely! What we're looking at here is titled "Lijst van intekenaren voor de serie platen van de begrafenis van prinses Maria Louise, 1765," residing here at the Rijksmuseum, but likely crafted in the 19th century. So, a list of subscribers for a series of plates commemorating Princess Maria Louise’s funeral in the late 1700s. Academic art captured through elegant script typography. It really is history on paper. Curator: A ledger of those who grieved and wished to remember, practically inviting an anthropological exploration. But it goes beyond a simple registry. This formalized script, carefully placed on a sheet… Do you find a coded melancholy here as I do? Perhaps because the image and words show cultural norms so different from ours today? Editor: That scripted solemnity is beautifully observed. And the fading adds layers, almost blurring the boundary between participant and spectator through generations. Do you find any symbolism beyond mere recording here? Curator: In the commitment, yes, but also perhaps in its potential audience. Funerals—even illustrated ones—are performative in nature, both then and now. This artifact documents the sponsors. To be included, of course, confirms a specific relationship to power but it's more layered than that... wouldn’t you agree? A sense of social positioning amidst sorrow. Editor: The power dynamics during a memorial service definitely offer complex symbolic threads. And the artist - Anonymous, of course - has inadvertently charted that web of association, those seeking to affirm or solidify their position during a major historical moment. Curator: In many ways, that sentiment remains familiar. It has aged so that we may recognize elements of ourselves in it… Editor: Absolutely, thank you for untangling and shedding a fresh light on it with me.