Allegory of the Batavian Republic – 1795

Copper engraving made by an anonymous artist in 1795. Coloured by a leter hand. Size (plate mark): 29 × 24.5 cm.

This allegorical print represents, in both word and image, the political programme of the young Batavian Republic. The scene must be read in direct conjunction with the poem beneath the image, which explicitly guides its interpretation.

At the centre appears a monstrous figure with serpent hair, a Medusa-like personification of Discord. She attempts, with a lever, to pry a stone from the ground, a telling metaphor for undermining the foundation of the state edifice. In the poem this foundation is described as the “firm cornerstone” of the Commonwealth, grounded in Virtue, Liberty, and “true civic loyalty.”

Opposing this destructive force stands an armoured woman with spear and shield. On her shield appears the inscription “PRO CIVITATE,” for the state, for the civic commonwealth. She protects the Dutch Maiden, who stands upon a pedestal beside the Dutch Lion. On the pedestal is the motto “HANC TVEMVR HANC DEFENDIMVS” [This we protect, this we defend], an unequivocal declaration of national vigilance.

The poem addresses the “Righteous Batavian” directly and warns against “glittering false varnish” and foreign influence. Only Unity, descending triumphantly from the clouds out of “Heaven’s starry arches”, can destroy the “murderous rot” and restore peace and abundance.

The print thus functions as a powerful visual pamphlet: discord seeks to pry up the foundations, yet civic loyalty and unity, sanctioned by heaven and fatherland, guarantee the survival of the Batavian state.