Uittocht van 600 gewapende Amsterdamse burgers naar Utrecht, 17 juli 1787 1788

This engraving, made by Jan Evert Grave, captures the departure of 600 armed Amsterdam citizens to Utrecht in July 1787. Notice the men, lined up and ready, the ensemble of bodies on a determined mission; they’re embarking on boats, crossing the water. This procession is an echo of triumphal marches from antiquity, evoking a collective desire for order and resolution, a return to civic virtue. Think of Roman legions marching, the image reemerging in our collective psyche, adapted each time to fit new circumstances. The Age of Enlightenment was punctuated by revolution and the desire for civic reform. The determined march, the water crossing: the image taps into deep-seated needs for catharsis and change. This isn’t just a depiction of a historical event; it's an appeal to our innate longing for resolution, for the restoration of balance in a world perceived as chaotic. Such collective displays served as a potent reminder of the cyclical nature of history, where images of power and solidarity are constantly reinvented.