Ontvangst van gevluchte hugenoten in Amsterdam, 1685 1865 - 1870

Hendrik Sluyter created this print titled 'Reception of the Huguenot refugees in Amsterdam, 1685.' It depicts a moment of welcome, yet it’s steeped in a history of religious persecution. Following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, many Huguenots, French Protestants, fled to other countries, including the Netherlands. Amsterdam, a city known for its relative tolerance, became a haven. However, this tolerance was layered with complex socio-political calculations, as the Dutch Republic sought to benefit economically from the skills and industry that the Huguenots brought with them. Sluyter, painting in the 19th century, looks back to this moment in the 17th century. The emotional weight of displacement is palpable, as the refugees carry with them the memories of their homeland, now lost to them.