Ruiters in gesprek 1694 - 1724

Jacob Andreas Fridrich made this print called ‘Ruiters in gesprek’ – or ‘Horsemen Talking’ - at an unknown date. What makes this image interesting is the ruin looming in the background, and the presence of armed men in what would have been, for Fridrich and his contemporaries, contemporary dress. Made in the Netherlands, this print reflects the Dutch Republic’s fascination with classical antiquity and the use of its visual codes. Ruins of Roman buildings reminded viewers of the transience of worldly power but also the enduring legacy of the past. The image’s Latin inscription “Nec nos via fallit euntes” – “Nor does the road deceive us as we go” – would have been familiar to educated viewers and given an additional layer of meaning to the image. Works such as these were usually commissioned by wealthy patrons to decorate their houses and signal their knowledge of the classical past. Investigating such histories of patronage and taste will help us understand the social function of art in the Dutch Republic.