Vallende Oranjeboom, 1795 1795

This anonymous etching, "Falling Orange Tree", was made in the Netherlands in 1795. It comments directly on the social structures of its time, during the Batavian Revolution. The image depicts the fall of the House of Orange, symbolized by a falling orange tree and a child wearing an orange sash, desperately calling for help. Above, falcons representing England and Prussia abandon the Dutch Republic, while a French rooster and a Batavian dog move to attack the falling tree, representing the new political order. In the background is a liberty tree. This print speaks to the dramatic political shifts, and it offers us insight into the complex visual language of political satire at the time. To better understand the context of this work, researching Dutch history, French Revolutionary imagery, and the symbolism of political cartoons would be useful. Only with an awareness of its historical moment can we really understand the meaning of this deceptively simple image.