Willem II, graaf van Holland, in Keulen tot ridder geslagen, 1248 1792 - 1794

Jacobus Buys created this drawing, Willem II, Count of Holland, Knighted in Cologne, 1248, sometime in the 18th century. Buys produced this drawing during a period defined by rising nationalism. Buys situates the viewer inside a sacred space. We witness the knighting of Willem II, who kneels in armor before a clergyman and a knight bestowing the honor. In the background, a group of onlookers watch. Note the whiteness of all figures depicted and the central placement of Willem II, a figure of power. This image reinforces a narrative of Dutch history centered around white, male authority. In the 18th century, images like these would have evoked feelings of national pride and a connection to a heroic past. But today, we might consider how such representations contribute to a selective and exclusionary understanding of history. What stories are privileged, and whose experiences are left out?