Verovering van de Zilvervloot in de Baai van Matanzas door admiraal Piet Heyn, 1628 1628

This is an anonymous etching titled ‘The Capture of the Silver Fleet in the Bay of Matanzas by Admiral Piet Heyn, 1628’. Created in the Netherlands during the early 17th century, it depicts a pivotal moment in Dutch history, when the Dutch West India Company seized a Spanish treasure fleet. This image brings forward questions of identity, power, and the complex legacy of colonialism. While seemingly a celebration of Dutch naval victory, it also represents the exploitation and extraction of wealth from colonized lands, largely fueled by slave labor. The narrative is framed from a distinctly European perspective, glorifying military conquest and economic gain. What is lost, however, are the voices and experiences of those dispossessed and enslaved. The event marked a high point for the Dutch during the Eighty Years' War, bolstering their economic power. Yet, we must critically examine the ethics of such victories, recognizing the human cost of imperial ambitions and the unequal distribution of wealth it produced. The work compels us to confront the uncomfortable truths about how power, privilege, and national identity are constructed through acts of conquest and domination.