Dutch Patriot movement, civic armament – Abraham Jacobsz. Hulk after P. Coijon, 1785

ALLEGORY OF CIVIC ARMAMENT

“Het nut der burgerwapening.” [The benefit of public armament.] Engraving made in 1785 by Abraham Jacobsz. Hulk after a drawing by P. Coijon. Coloured by a later hand. Size: 37.6 × 36 cm.

In the second half of the eighteenth century, the political landscape of the Netherlands began to change. The two-centuries-old political system of the Dutch Republic, with its specific roles for the States General, the Grand Pensionary, and the Stadtholder, started to show signs of strain.

A movement emerged that sought to put an end to the power of the Stadholder and the regent elite. From then on, representatives of the citizenry were to become the decisive political force. Supporters of this movement called themselves Patriots.

The Patriot movement did not possess a single, clear political programme shared by all its adherents. As a result, reform-minded Patriots formed groups throughout the country, each seeking in its own way to alter the existing political order.

The Patriots advocated the creation of a citizen militia, which is what this print represents. Civic armament is shown as the force that restores and safeguards freedom in the Netherlands. At the centre of the composition, a civic corps marches forward in orderly and unified formation past a commemorative monument bearing the coats of arms of the seven provinces. This monument represents the Dutch Republic itself and underscores that the cause depicted is a collective, nationwide one. Beside the corps appears the Dutch Lion, a symbol of the fatherland and of legitimate strength.

On the right side of the print, the threats to freedom are quite literally driven away. Shown in human form are figures representing self-interest, lust for power, political intrigue, and hypocrisy. They are expelled from the scene and retreat into dark clouds, which allude to oppression, corruption, and moral decay.

On the left, an opposing image unfolds. Soldiers raise a statue of Liberty, set high and visible to all. Above this scene, powerful rays of sunlight break through the clouds. The light dispels the darkness and makes clear that freedom is returning, not as a gift bestowed from above, but as the result of determined action by citizens themselves.

The composition as a whole demonstrates how order, unity, and vigilance replace abuse and the pursuit of power. Civic armament is not presented as a threat to public peace, but rather as a means of restoring it. The message to the viewer is unambiguous: only an active and engaged citizenry can secure freedom and prevent it from being lost once again.

The print is dedicated to all “societies devoted to freedom and love of the fatherland engaged in the bearing of arms in the United Netherlands.”

Price: Euro 375,-