Koning Willem I slaat het verzoek om uitlevering van Merlin af, 1829 1829

Curator: This print, "Koning Willem I slaat het verzoek om uitlevering van Merlin af, 1829," an engraving by Jean-Louis Van Hemelryck, speaks volumes about the political landscape of its time. It's all about power, negotiation, and the materiality of image production serving a distinct purpose. Editor: I notice it has quite a formal and somewhat rigid feeling. Given that it's an engraving, what kind of audience might have been consuming these images? Curator: That’s key to understanding the work. Engravings allowed for relatively mass production. Who could afford them and what was being communicated to them through the imagery itself? Was it meant to reinforce national pride and celebrate power of the monarchy, especially in a climate of revolution in other places in Europe? Also, what does the act of printing mean for the message conveyed here? Editor: So, you're suggesting that the print’s very existence and affordability allowed for a wider dissemination of political ideals? That changes my initial view completely! Curator: Precisely. Think about the labor involved in creating this image. Who made the paper? Who created the plate for printing? Where was it circulated and sold? All those steps form part of this political message and understanding of its purpose, and connect directly to the materials. Also, what is being materially reproduced here and for whom? Editor: That is so interesting, because I originally was simply interpreting it on the image of royalty. I never even stopped to think about how images of power circulate, thanks to accessible materials and accessible modes of productions like printing. Curator: Exactly. These objects, how and why they are made, allow us to rethink those rigid visual expectations and the purpose and distribution of imagery and even cultural propaganda. Editor: I will keep this in mind during my next gallery visit.