Personificaties van de Oostenrijkse Nederlanden en Frankrijk 1757

This etching by Jan Wandelaar from 1757 depicts the personifications of the Austrian Netherlands and France. The image, housed in the Rijksmuseum, shows the two women seated and holding up a book titled, "KENNIS VAN DE TRANCSCH FRANCOLS DUITSCH, en FLAMAND WOORDENBOEK". A crowned woman, representing France, is depicted with a rooster at her feet. Her counterpart, representing the Austrian Netherlands, is seated beside her, a lion lying at her feet. An angel holds a writing tablet above them. The engraving depicts a visual allegory of the relationship between the Austrian Netherlands and France, and highlights the importance of language and knowledge in society.