Allegorie op Dordrecht, de Hoekse Waard, de Zwijndrechtse waard, de Riederwaard en het land van IJsselmonde 1793

This allegory on Dordrecht, made in 1793 by Johan Christoffel Schultsz, teems with symbols of place and knowledge. We see a female figure, representing the city, poised with a writing tablet, as putti offer her inspiration. Note the recurring motif of the reclining figure, a classical trope meant to embody the spirit of a place. Observe how she mirrors the posture of river gods found in ancient Roman art, signifying the life-giving waters that sustain the land. This echoes images of antiquity. The act of writing and the presence of books speak to the city's intellectual life, with the globe underscoring its worldly connections. Such imagery is not confined to this time; it resurfaces in Renaissance emblems and Baroque allegories, each time adapted to new cultural contexts. These are not mere illustrations but carriers of cultural memory, evoking feelings of intellectual pride, linking Dordrecht to a lineage of learning and prosperity. The image engages us on a deep level, stirring subconscious feelings of civic pride. The symbols evolve, yet the underlying desire for representation remains.