Aanslag op het rijtuig van de gedeputeerden van Dordrecht, 1786 1786 - 1792

Curator: What a flurry! This engraving, dating from between 1786 and 1792, depicts "Aanslag op het rijtuig van de gedeputeerden van Dordrecht, 1786," or the attack on the carriage of the deputies of Dordrecht, crafted by Pieter Hendrik Jonxis. Editor: It’s so busy. All these tiny, frenetic lines. The scene feels chaotic and quite violent, really capturing the sense of upheaval. The energy is undeniable. I imagine being right there and losing my footing. Curator: Precisely. Jonxis really captures that dynamism. If we break it down, though, it is actually meticulously organized. Look at the placement of the buildings—see how they frame the scene, giving a sense of enclosure? It’s classic neoclassical composition at play even amidst the chaos. Note also the almost scientific precision in the depiction of architectural elements – each brick rendered with clear linear strokes. Editor: That’s true! Once you point it out, I can see how the architectural grid creates an odd counterpoint to all the anarchic action down below. There's also that lovely cityscape in the background offering some kind of rational permanence versus this one hot day where everything went mad. This image makes me wonder who commissioned it. I bet the deputies didn't like it one bit. Curator: Historical context reveals much. This print visualizes a key moment during the Patriot movement in the Netherlands – tensions were incredibly high between those pushing for more democratic governance and those supporting the Stadtholder, effectively a monarch. The deputies were perceived as representatives of the establishment, so that added extra symbolic value here. Editor: That is what this work is! A symbolic powder keg made of ink and paper. Looking at the actual quality of the engraving lines: very crisp and yet they coalesce into a vibrant impression, if a little grim. There is something potent about the medium, itself, in depicting the turbulence of the period. Curator: It does lend an almost journalistic quality. Jonxis provides an image caught at one definitive historical instance, where the power of an uprising could have gone one way or the other. Editor: Makes you think. I suppose this work is about much more than one city. Thanks for shining some light on the artwork for me. Curator: Absolutely. Its history illuminates ours in surprising ways.