Gedicht op het zwaard waarmee Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1619 zou zijn onthoofd 1743

This poem, written in 1743 by Petronella Catharina van Steenbergen, responds to a verse about the sword used in the 1619 execution of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. This work exists as a handwritten document, a physical trace of 18th-century Dutch intellectual life and historical memory. Van Steenbergen’s poem reflects a nation grappling with its past. Oldenbarnevelt, a key figure in the Dutch Golden Age, was executed for treason amidst political and religious strife. The poem uses stark imagery, questioning whether life under “slavery” is preferable and criticizing those blinded by “idle appearance”. It evokes the tension between the centralized power of the Orange dynasty and the desire for a “free state”. Understanding this artwork demands historical research, including the original poem it references and the complex political landscape of the Dutch Republic. It reminds us that art often functions as a site of public discourse, shaped by the social conditions of its time.