Allegorie op de Vrede van Amiens, 1802 1802

Reinier Ziesenis created this print titled, *Allegory on the Peace of Amiens,* in 1802. It commemorates a brief peace treaty between France and several other European nations, including the Dutch Republic. At the time, the Dutch Republic was under French influence, and this print reflects the hope for renewed trade and prosperity that the peace was expected to bring. Yet, it's important to remember that peace treaties often mask underlying power dynamics. The Dutch Republic’s identity was in flux, caught between its own aspirations and the influence of a larger European conflict. Ziesenis uses symbolic figures to convey complex ideas. Classical goddesses and cherubic figures populate the scene, representing concepts like peace, commerce, and prosperity, all rendered through a European lens. The print is a vision of harmony and abundance, but for whom? And at what cost? This work invites us to reflect on how peace is depicted, and whose interests are truly being served.