Zeeslag bij Doggersbank, 1781 1781 - 1782

Dirk de Jong made this print of the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1781. It commemorates a naval battle between the Dutch and the English during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War. Prints like this played a crucial public role at the time. They were a primary means of circulating information and shaping public opinion. In the Netherlands, which was then a republic, there was great interest in maritime power and naval battles. The image depicts the chaos of naval warfare with ships firing cannons amidst smoke and turbulent waters. By visually documenting and disseminating accounts of naval battles, prints like this helped to construct a collective memory of national identity. To fully understand prints like this, historians consult a range of sources, including archival documents, period newspapers, and other visual materials. These shed light on the social, political, and institutional contexts that shaped their production and reception. They also help us to understand the role of art in shaping national identity and collective memory.