Belvedere en de Hoenderpoort te Nijmegen 1663

Lambert Doomer made this pen and wash drawing of the Belvedere and Hoenderpoort in Nijmegen, likely around the middle of the 17th century. Here, Doomer pictures the town’s fortifications, with two figures in the foreground that help to give a sense of scale. Nijmegen was an important strategic location, and its fortifications reflect the military and political history of the Netherlands. Its location near the German border meant it changed hands several times. For much of the 17th century, the Netherlands was at war, including the Eighty Years’ War with Spain that led to the Dutch Republic’s independence. The Hoenderpoort was part of the city's defenses, and the Belvedere tower offered strategic views. During this time, landscape art became a way for Dutch artists to express national pride. To understand the painting better, historical maps and military records of the time would give us a clearer picture of Nijmegen’s strategic importance in the 17th century. As we can see, art doesn’t exist in a bubble; it responds to the political and military realities of its time.