De Haarlemmers rollen een ton met elf hoofden van Spanjaarden over de muur, 1573 1787

Editor: This print, made in 1787 by Harmanus Vinkeles, is titled "De Haarlemmers rollen een ton met elf hoofden van Spanjaarden over de muur, 1573." The old engraving style makes the scene feel brutal and distant. What aspects of this historical narrative do you find most striking? Curator: The image depicts a very specific and violent event during the Eighty Years' War. What is striking to me is the depiction of the victors using the literal heads of the defeated as ammunition, to further humiliate the defeated oppressors. It's about resistance, definitely, but it also asks some uncomfortable questions about what it takes to overthrow a colonial power. It isn't romanticizing revolution but showing its visceral nature, its gruesome cost. Editor: So you're saying this image is about more than just a single battle? It's about the broader implications of resistance? Curator: Absolutely. Vinkeles wasn't simply illustrating history; he was making a statement about the complex dynamics of power, violence, and the lasting effects of colonialism. Think about the act of decapitation itself. How it served as both a tool for social control for colonizers, but when mirrored by those formerly colonized, became a brutal act of resistance. Do you think this is glorified violence, or resistance to occupation? Editor: I think that understanding the history definitely contextualizes how we view it as resistance, but also prompts a strong reaction of violence being "normalized." The choice to portray that kind of violence definitely feels like the message of the image. Curator: Exactly! By showing us this brutal act, Vinkeles compels us to confront the complexities and moral ambiguities inherent to conflicts born of oppression, even centuries after the fact. This illuminates how visual narratives shaped national identity but also reinforced or challenged social norms, specifically during periods of upheaval and transformation. Editor: It's unsettling to realize how historical narratives and violence are deeply interwoven. It shows us we need to view these images from multiple points of view. Thanks for helping me dig a bit deeper. Curator: It's important to be able to unpack images like these, with sensitivity and perspective.