Edelmoedig gedrag van Caecilius Metellus 1797

This print, Edelmoedig gedrag van Caecilius Metellus, was made by Ludwig Gottlieb Portman. The print depicts a Roman soldier protecting public property from being destroyed by fire, while others try to dissuade him. It’s a scene that exemplifies civic virtue. The image creates meaning through its historical associations. Portman was working in the Netherlands, at a time when the Dutch Republic was being transformed by the Napoleonic Empire. Republicanism, which drew inspiration from the Roman Republic, was in the air. Dutch Patriots aimed to break the power of the Stadtholder and introduce greater democracy, even though these attempts were ultimately suppressed by outside forces. Looking back to the virtuous acts of the Roman Republic was a way of commenting on the present. Prints like these valorized the ideals of courage, honor and public service. To understand the print more fully, a historian would explore the role of civic virtue in Dutch political thought. How were classical heroes used to comment on contemporary political life?