Wol hondert jirren ester ien / Hab ik yn 't a, b, c, boek stien [(...)] 1822 - 1849

This color etching by F. Houtkamp depicts a rooster and was printed in the Netherlands. The image is a kind of visual riddle, typical of Northern European art. It combines an allegorical image with a bit of verse, inviting the viewer to decode its symbolism. The rooster, an animal associated with pride, but also vigilance, stands in a landscape with a farmhouse in the background. This imagery speaks to the Netherlands' burgeoning sense of national identity in the 19th century, even as it was still under foreign rule. The etching may critique the perceived vanity of the Dutch, or perhaps celebrate their industriousness. To better understand this image, we might investigate the popular folk traditions of the Netherlands. What proverbs or songs featured roosters? What did the rooster symbolize in Dutch art and literature of the time? Only through such social and institutional histories can we fully grasp its meaning.