De Naald van Waterloo, monument ter ere van de Prins van Oranje, te Soestdijk, 1815 1815

This print from 1815 depicts a monument to the Prince of Orange, commemorating the Battle of Waterloo. While we don't know the artist, the printmaking process itself speaks volumes. Look closely, and you'll see the intricate linework achieved through etching or engraving. These techniques, reliant on skilled artisans and specialized tools, allowed for the mass production of images. The print is not just an artwork; it's a document, a record of a specific time and its political fervor. The monument itself, a towering obelisk, represents power and victory, rendered in a way that could be widely disseminated. The materiality of the print makes it inherently democratic, allowing for the distribution of patriotic sentiment among a wider populace. It collapses the traditional hierarchy between fine art and printed ephemera.