In V&A Museum I saw a group of snuffbox associated with Frederick II and these boxes impress me deeply especially this one.
This English box proves the international fame of Frederick II after Seven Years War .The idealized portrait on this box shows him in his twenties, when he was a crown prince of Prussia. In fact Frederick The Great was in his fifties when the box was made, that inspired my idea because I thought he became a totally different person when he got older
At the first of my creative journey, I compared him when he was young and old through the books in the library of our school ,I found out lots of difference and I wondered what caused him to active like that for example what this prince who loved art of peace and a philosopher king who even wrote The Anti- Machiavel with Voltaire waging war and began to turn Prussia into a highly military state? Why this culture prince became a man who dress in a plain blue uniform and shows the act of self effacement?
After reading the books about him, I found out one of the most important reasons is that he was grew up in an environment where he was absolutely forbidden to be what he wanted to be. His father didn’t allow him to study music and Latin cause the struggle between father and son, and then caused him hatched plan to run away to England. And that led to his closest friend’s execution. After all these dramatic experiences, he resigned to his dynastic obligations as hier to throne, but he started threw up defenses around him self and became a highly artificial person. It also caused self effacement in his entire life.
Another thing I found that interested me was the place San Souci, which means “without a care” in English. It situated in Potsdam ,away from the bustle of the royal court in Berlin, Sans souci was the Frederick’s spiritual home, its inner circle is looked to France for its intellectual inspiration. He invited Voltaire And other philosophers to have discussions and dinner there for many years. Combing with the name of the place, it seems that his idea of this place was to live in the world he was dream of and the real world.
Then I found out I can make a magazine which illustrate And compare the difference between The World he wants dream of and the real world. And also tell the historical story of him.