Maria, koningin van Bohemen 1575 - 1603

Curator: Editor: This is an engraving of Maria, Queen of Bohemia, made by Jacob Hoefnagel sometime between 1575 and 1603. It has such a formal, almost stiff feel to it. What are your first thoughts when you see this? Curator: The texture achieved through the engraving process itself really stands out. Notice how Hoefnagel uses the density and direction of the lines to define not just the form, but the quality of the materials depicted: the crisp ruffles, the heavier fabric of the gown. The labor involved is quite apparent. Considering the social standing of the subject, how does the choice of printmaking – a relatively accessible medium even then – impact the work's meaning for you? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought about the engraving as a choice about accessibility. Does the printmaking democratize the image, even of royalty? Curator: Exactly. The act of reproducing it, the labour of each print, allows for a wider circulation, taking the image, and therefore the idea of Maria, beyond the confines of the court. It links artistic skill, mechanical reproduction, and the construction of a royal persona in a really compelling way, don't you think? Who, exactly, was this made for? Editor: So it's less about simply representing Maria, and more about constructing and distributing a particular image of power through a specific material process? Curator: Precisely. It is about manufacturing authority. This makes me appreciate the role that reproductive technologies played in the shaping of early modern European identities all the more! Editor: I'm definitely looking at this engraving in a new light. It's about more than just appearances!