Militairen te paard 1827 - 1894

M. Hemeleers-van Houter made this print of soldiers on horseback, in the Netherlands, before 1880. It presents twelve images of soldiers in different poses, as if for a toy theatre. These images speak to the militarization of European society at this time. The Dutch army was heavily involved in colonial expansion in the East Indies, an army that needed to be trained and supplied. Consider the role that imagery played in glorifying the military, particularly during a time of national expansion. We know that the Netherlands had strong cultural institutions and robust trade routes that shaped the movement of images and ideas at this time. Artists and printers depended on wealthy patrons or government support to promote a conservative or progressive political position. To understand this artwork better, one might research the history of military imagery in the Netherlands, the structure of the Dutch art world, and the growth of Dutch colonial power. Through such research, we can appreciate the role of art as something deeply embedded in social and institutional contexts.