Drie ruiters in galop 1619 - 1649

Jan Martszen de Jonge made this small etching, titled 'Three Riders at a Gallop,' in the Netherlands sometime in the mid-17th century. It depicts a skirmish, perhaps between soldiers and bandits. Prints like this served an important public role in 17th-century Holland. The Dutch Republic was a leading military and economic power, but it was also a deeply divided society. Etchings and engravings were a cheap, reproducible, and democratic medium for debating the pressing issues of the day. They were pinned up in taverns and coffee houses and pasted to city walls. This print offers a romantic vision of military life, but we might also read it as a commentary on the disruptions caused by the Dutch military, which was constantly at war. To understand the full meaning of an image like this, we need to consult a wide range of historical sources, from military records to popular songs. Only then can we understand the social and institutional contexts that shaped its production.