Allegorie voor de Rotterdamse schutterij, 1830 1830 - 1831

This lithograph, Allegory for the Rotterdam Shooting Company, was made in 1830 by Johannes Paulus Houtman. The image commemorates civic guard, referencing the historical importance of local militias, who defended the cities in times of war. But let’s consider the date it was made. In 1830, the Kingdom of the Netherlands faced a major challenge, namely the Belgian Revolution. The civic guard was called upon to restore order in the south. The image is therefore connected to the political turmoil of the time. The banner ‘For King and Fatherland’ is in that context an explicit statement of loyalty. By representing the Rotterdam civic guard in full regalia Houtman is not simply recording its existence, but signaling the importance of the civic guard. In understanding this image, historians would look to archives of civic guard, but also political pamphlets from this period to understand the cultural and institutional context. From this we can deduce the social function of art is not just to reflect the times, but to shape them.