Verovering van Gibraltar door een Engels-Nederlandse vloot, 1704 1755 - 1811

François Jacques Dequevauviller created this print depicting the conquest of Gibraltar in 1704. Here we see the visual motifs of military conquest: orderly tents, uniformed soldiers, and ships bombarding the landscape with plumes of smoke. The tent, a symbol of impermanence, paradoxically represents the establishment of power. Its appearance here hearkens back to ancient nomadic societies, yet it is also reminiscent of Renaissance battle scenes where such encampments symbolized military might and organization. Consider how this imagery resurfaces even today, in refugee camps or disaster relief operations, where tents again serve as temporary assertions of order amidst chaos. The smoke, a potent symbol, not only signifies destruction but also transformation, a visual echo of humanity's eternal dance between creation and annihilation. The conquest of land, as seen here, eternally resurfaces, evolving and taking on new meanings across historical contexts.