Vernietiging van wapenborden van de familie De Witt in een kerk, 1672 1672 - 1699

This print, made in 1672 by an anonymous artist, shows the destruction of the De Witt family's crests in a church. The printmaking process itself— likely etching or engraving— is crucial to understanding its purpose: to disseminate a political message widely and quickly. Look closely, and you'll notice that the men are using axes and hammers. With these basic tools, they are violently removing and destroying wooden heraldic shields. The act wasn't just about physical destruction, it was symbolic. By attacking these crafted objects, they aimed to erase the De Witt family's legacy and power. It is important to consider the labor and skill involved in creating the original crests. Highly trained artisans would have carved and painted these status symbols. Ironically, a different kind of labor is on display here, the brute force of common people enacting a moment of iconoclasm. Ultimately, this print reminds us that materials and making are always embedded in social and political contexts, and that even destruction can be a form of creation, leaving its own mark on history.