Onthoofding van Mr. C. van der Burgh, burgemeester van Bolsward, 16 mei 1789 Possibly 1789 - 1801

Editor: Here we have "Beheading of Mr. C. van der Burgh, Mayor of Bolsward, 16 May 1789," a pen and ink drawing by Jacobus Buys, dating from around that time. The scene it depicts is pretty grim; it definitely gives off a sense of public brutality. What's your take on it? What grabs your attention? Curator: Well, immediately I feel a pang of… discomfort, of course. It's easy to romanticize the past, but drawings like this—so immediate, almost journalistic—yank us back to a reality that smells of sweat, fear, and cold stone. Buys, though, he isn't merely documenting; he’s crafting a narrative, don't you think? Note how he positions the executioner, almost Christ-like in stance. It’s about power, naturally, but what kind? Divine justice, cold political calculation, or simply mob rule sanctioned by those fancy houses in the background? Editor: It's unsettling how calm the houses look! But "mob rule," that’s interesting… the crowd feels so present. Is the romantic style adding anything specific to the image’s overall message? Curator: Absolutely! Romanticism isn't just about swooning lovers; it’s about intense emotional experiences, both personal and collective. Buys is tapping into the revolutionary fervor of the late 18th century. He makes you *feel* the weight of that sword about to fall, doesn’t he? Are we celebrating justice, or are we becoming complicit in something monstrous? That ink isn't just capturing an event; it's probing our own capacity for cruelty, our own anxieties. Editor: That makes total sense. Seeing it like that makes it much more engaging, almost confrontational. Curator: Precisely! And that, my friend, is where the real art happens: in the discomfort, the questions, and the shudder of recognition.