The Batavians Surround the Romans at Vetera

Otto van Veen painted this oil on panel depicting ‘The Batavians Surround the Romans at Vetera’. It’s a vision of the past filtered through the turbulent politics of the artist’s own time. The scene refers to the Batavian revolt against Roman rule in what is now the Netherlands. Van Veen, working in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, would have known that this area was then in revolt against its Spanish rulers. The image creates meaning through its visual codes; historical associations would have been significant. This painting taps into a deep well of national identity and resistance. As an artist working for the court in Brussels, Van Veen’s position was not straightforward. His classicizing style reflects the influence of the art academies. But his choice of subject matter speaks to a more progressive agenda. To fully understand this work, one must delve into the history of the Netherlands, the politics of the Habsburg court, and the visual language of early modern painting. The Rijksmuseum’s own archives are a great place to start.