Belgische generaal-majoor, 1830 1830

Bertrand created this print of a Belgian Major-General in 1830. It depicts a military leader on horseback, his sword raised, seemingly leading troops into battle. Prints like these were often commissioned or created in times of political upheaval or nationalistic fervor. This particular print highlights questions of identity and power in the context of 19th-century Europe. Consider the concept of "Belgium" itself, a nation still in its infancy at the time of this portrait. How might the artist have used this figure to create a sense of national pride and identity? What does this heroic depiction say about the role of the military in shaping national identity? Consider, too, the class implications of military rank and the socio-political power it represents. What does it mean to depict a "general" rather than a common soldier? This image, on the one hand, reinforces a traditional, heroic narrative of military leadership, but it also asks us to consider the complexities of nationhood, class, and the construction of identity.