Verbranden van de Franse schepen bij La Hogue, 1692 1848 - 1855

Petrus Johannes Schotel created this print of the Burning of the French Ships near La Hogue in 1892. Schotel was a 19th-century Dutch marine painter, and this work, now in the Rijksmuseum, shows his interest in Dutch maritime history. It references the Battle of La Hogue of 1692, when an Anglo-Dutch fleet defeated the French. What you see here isn't the battle itself, however, but the aftermath, with French ships ablaze near the shore. This was a key moment in the Nine Years' War, which saw England and the Dutch Republic allied against France. Maritime power was crucial to the economic and political strength of the Dutch Republic in the 17th century. By the 19th century, when Schotel made this image, the Dutch Golden Age was long past, but the memory of naval victories like this one remained a potent symbol of national pride. To understand this print fully, we can consult historical accounts of the battle, naval histories, and studies of Dutch national identity in the 19th century. These resources help us appreciate how Schotel's art reflected and shaped the social and political attitudes of his time.