New in the Collection / Romeyn de Hooghe: Het Hoog- en Lager-Huys van Engelandt
Amsterdam, c. 1728

This dense allegorical-parliamentary composition by Dutch engraver and political image-maker Romeyn de Hooghe (1645–1708) stands at the intersection of graphic reportage, propaganda art, and early constitutional theory.Originally conceived in 1689 to celebrate the enthronement of William III after the Glorious Revolution, the plate was reissued in 1702 with a portrait of Queen Anne, and again in 1727—as in this impression—featuring George II.

More than a depiction of English parliamentary life, it’s a continental projection of Protestant order, blending monarchical symbolism, mythological tapestries, and a layered architectural theatre. De Hooghe—never having visited England—designed the space with emblematic precision, visualising a balance between royal sovereignty and parliamentary rule that resonated deeply with the Dutch Stadtholdership.
The exquisite hand-colouring enhances the scene’s theatricality: allegorical skies open above, while history seeps through the woven walls. The symbolic presence of an empty throne, the structured interplay of governance, and the hovering figures of glory and law render this a graphic meditation on constitutional monarchy—long before the term was codified