Inname van Lille, 1708 1712 - 1715

Johann August Corvinus created this print titled 'Inname van Lille, 1708', sometime around that year. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. During the early 18th century, European society was structured around rigid hierarchies, and warfare was a common means of asserting power and expanding territories. Corvinus, situated within this context, creates an image that functions as both a historical record and a piece of propaganda. The elaborate ornamentation and symbolic elements, such as the map of Lille and the triumphal procession, tell a story of conquest and dominance. This celebratory representation of military victory is typical of the era, but it also raises questions about whose stories are being told and whose perspectives are being erased. The artist invites us to reflect on the human cost of conflict, and the ways in which historical narratives are constructed and disseminated through art.