Bataafse Opstand, 69-70 1722 - 1784

Editor: This etching, "Bataafse Opstand, 69-70," created by Simon Fokke between 1722 and 1784, depicts quite a tumultuous scene. There's so much chaotic energy within its small frame. What stands out to you? Curator: I see a potent narrative about resistance, but it's crucial to unpack how that narrative functions. Fokke’s depiction of the Batavian revolt as a struggle for liberty echoes contemporary concerns. But what does liberty mean in this context? Whose freedom are we celebrating, and at whose expense? How does the depiction of landscape intertwine with the representation of power? Editor: It feels like the landscape itself is a participant in the conflict, almost a character, rather than just a backdrop. Curator: Exactly. The choice to depict the Batavian revolt in a landscape speaks volumes about the era. Are we to read this as a commentary on native land rights versus colonial ambition? Furthermore, how might a feminist perspective change our reading of this image? Where are the women, and what does their absence signify? Are their bodies present in spirit via the land and water? Editor: I didn't even consider the gendered aspects of it at first glance. Focusing on what’s not there is revealing. Curator: Precisely. The absence and the act of erasure often carry just as much significance. Now, how does this image intersect with ideas about nationalism, or even contemporary political movements focused on liberation struggles? What possibilities for decolonialization and social change does it reflect, or perhaps, obscure? Editor: This print is more than just a historical record, it's a site for interrogating power. I will never look at etchings of historical events the same way again. Curator: Indeed. Art invites us to look closer and continuously question.