Optrekken van de wacht op het Binnenhof met een schandelijk vaandel, 1787 1796

Reinier Vinkeles captured this scene at the Binnenhof in 1787 with etching. The focal point, a 'scandalous' banner, is more than mere cloth; it is a vessel of political and emotional fervor. The Dutch Lion, typically a symbol of national pride and strength, is here subjected to caricature, reflecting the deep divisions of the time. Consider how such symbols evolve across epochs. The lion, revered in antiquity as a solar emblem of kingship, finds itself mocked in revolutionary pamphlets, then resurrected again as a logo for a modern football team, all while subconscious memories of power, dominance, and authority are evoked. This act of defacing a national emblem is more than just political commentary; it's a raw expression of collective emotion, a purging of disillusionment and discontent. The image engages us on a subconscious level, forcing us to confront our own allegiances and the potent, sometimes volatile, nature of symbols. The banner, though specific to its time, resonates through history. Its meaning is not linear, but cyclical, always resurfacing, transformed, and imbued with new life in the theater of human affairs.