This revolutionary allegory is among the key visual expressions of the Batavian Revolution. At the centre, a female personification of Liberty and Equality is seated on a raised platform before a monumental obelisk. In her hand she holds a pair of compasses, a symbol of equal measure and just order, while beneath her hand rests the tablet bearing the “Rights of Man“, the foundation of the new political order.
Above the obelisk shines the All-Seeing Eye within a triangle, an Enlightenment symbol of reason, universal truth, and moral vigilance. Behind the figure appears a rooster with a tricolour flag bearing the motto “Live free or die,” a direct reference to the French Revolution and its ideological influence on the Batavian Republic.
At the foot of the platform lie supplicating rulers, stripped of their power. The severed head of Louis XVI serves as a stark warning of the fate of despots. In the background, a violent battlefield contrasts with a peaceful scene in which children dance around a liberty pole, symbolising a reborn society and the education of future free citizens. The rising sun marks the dawn of a new era.
