Sa kinder siet dees helden aan, Zeer moedig op haar paarden voort gaan 1745

Gijsbert de Groot Keur made this print of hand-colored woodcuts, titled 'So children see heroes, very bravely riding forth on their horses', in Amsterdam. Each of the four panels shows a hero on horseback, and it's interesting to consider how this imagery might have worked on the young minds of the time. What would children make of these figures of authority? Are they meant to admire them or question them? This print was produced during a tumultuous period in Dutch history, with conflicts between different political and religious factions. The heroic figures in the print may have been intended to promote certain values or ideologies, and we need to consider how these images may have shaped the perception of children, and contributed to the construction of national identity. By researching the historical context of the print, and examining the social and political forces at play, we can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and significance.