Verklaring bij de prent met de Tempel van de Bataafse Vrijheid, 1795 1795

This 1795 print by Jan Gerritsz. Visser, now in the Rijksmuseum, presents the "Declaration on the Temple of Batavian Freedom" amid potent symbols. Above the text, we see crossed flags, framed by winged cherubs—motifs of liberty and divine favor. The figure of the "Batavian Virgin" with her spear echoes classical antiquity's allegorical figures of freedom, like Libertas, connecting the new republic to ancient ideals of civic virtue. But observe: this allegorical figure is balanced by a common soldier on the right, rooted in contemporary reality. The cannon in the landscape introduces a sense of military readiness. These elements—cherubs, soldiers, and antique figures—converge, layering meanings and emotional undertones. The classical ideal is grounded in the volatile present, reflecting not just freedom but also the complex, and perhaps violent, path toward it. These symbols resurface through history, shaped by collective memory, embodying both hope and the recurring struggle for liberation.