Koppen der Batavieren 1782 - 1784

Engelbertus Matthias Engelberts made this drawing, entitled "Koppen der Batavieren," with pen in gray ink and brush in gray wash. The images of heads are associated with the Batavian Republic, a revolutionary government founded in 1795 under French influence in the Netherlands. The drawing reflects a surge of interest in national history and identity during this period. Visual codes referencing the classical world are apparent, such as the Roman helmets and togas. Cultural references to ancient Batavians create an imagined lineage of the new Dutch Republic to a legendary past, lending legitimacy to the revolutionary project. The drawing acts as a visual construction of national identity, an attempt to establish a shared cultural heritage. It is a reminder that the way we understand history is always mediated by the institutions and cultural forces of the present. We can use archives, books, and other drawings from the period to investigate how ideas about Dutch identity were formed and circulated in the late 18th century.