Slag bij Waterloo, 1815 1824 - 1850

Reinier Craeyvanger created this print of the Battle of Waterloo sometime after the event itself in 1815. The print depicts the allied forces in victory, but it's worth considering the image within its own historical moment. Made in the Netherlands, this print participates in a culture of commemoration. It reminds viewers of the battle's significance in reshaping European politics after the defeat of Napoleon, and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The print makes meaning through its depiction of military triumph and recalls other forms of political imagery. Prints like this one were commonly commissioned and displayed in public spaces and private homes alike. The Rijksmuseum itself plays a role in shaping our understanding of this battle, but so do many other archives that help historians investigate how this battle was understood, remembered, and mythologized in different ways.