Het leger van Alexander de Grote scheept zich in om de Hellespont te overvaren c. 1655 - 1665

Leonaert Bramer made this pen and wash drawing of Alexander the Great’s army in the 17th century. It depicts the moment when Alexander’s army crosses the Hellespont, the narrow strait separating Europe from Asia. Bramer was working in Delft during the Dutch Golden Age, a time when the Netherlands was a major economic and artistic power. The Dutch Republic was also a relatively tolerant society. It attracted artists and intellectuals from all over Europe. Bramer’s choice of subject matter reflects the cultural interests of his time. The stories of ancient heroes like Alexander were very popular. They represented military prowess, leadership, and the spread of civilization. This idealized vision of the past resonated with a society that was actively building a global trading empire. To understand Bramer’s drawing better, we can look at historical texts and images that circulated in the 17th century. These sources can tell us more about how the Dutch understood their place in the world, and how they used the past to legitimize their ambitions.