Koning Willem III bezoekt de vader van de in Atjeh gesneuvelde generaal Köhler, 1873 1873

This anonymous print from 1873 depicts King Willem III visiting the father of General Köhler, who died in Aceh. The image is a product of its time, reflecting the visual culture of Dutch colonialism. Willem III’s visit is a performance of royal empathy, staged amid the ongoing Aceh War, in which the Netherlands sought to colonize the Aceh Sultanate. The artist captures a scene of somber respect, with Köhler’s father and family receiving the king in their home. But what does it mean to perform grief in the service of colonial expansion? How does it function as a political tool? The presence of the children adds a layer of pathos, emphasizing the human cost of war. The image invites us to reflect on the relationship between personal sorrow and political power, and the ways in which narratives of loss can be used to legitimize military action.