Sebastiaan de Lange blaast zijn schip en zichzelf op, 1572 1835 - 1837

Curator: Johannes Steyn's engraving, dating from around 1835-1837, captures "Sebastiaan de Lange blowing up his ship and himself, 1572." The print is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, here in Amsterdam. My first thought: it feels charged. So much movement contained in such rigid lines. Editor: It certainly conveys high drama, doesn’t it? Look at the faces, the frantic actions—the level of desperation is palpable. But also consider how an artist in the 19th century visualizes such acts of war of centuries prior, and what type of heroism it evokes. Curator: Agreed. The material reality of an engraving in this period is telling too. Prints democratized imagery, made it accessible. Mass production transforms this historical moment—from the specific bravery, or even foolishness, of one man into a circulating symbol. Editor: Precisely! And what symbol does it serve? Look at de Lange, he’s quite literally centered within this image. But the very act of self-destruction carries with it implications of religious wars. Blowing up your ship, in many ways is also an act of blowing up yourself in this fight against colonial invaders, no? A statement on agency, resistance and complete control, against oppression, at all costs? Curator: A complex narrative of Dutch maritime history is here for us to dissect in this small print! This level of intricate line-work achieved by Steyn serves that story quite well; it highlights every emotional contour and crinkle of fabric of the depicted players involved. But tell me, do you think viewers back then pondered these deeper readings, as you pose them to us? Or were they more captivated by the surface narrative, the accessible heroic image? Editor: Perhaps it was both? Art engages with and contributes to existing ideologies, yes, but these change across generations, along with a more nuanced comprehension. It invites continual re-evaluation through evolving contextual lenses. Curator: Indeed. Looking at the ship construction in the background, the layering of the ships, rigging, gives you a sense of depth in limited ways—a very careful planned depiction, and yet the whole scene, despite its fine execution, does seem incredibly turbulent. I find the controlled technique clashing intriguingly with the unruly act it portrays. Editor: Yes! It's through recognizing that dissonance—between technique and subject, between past events and present interpretation—that the artwork truly starts to reveal its richness, no? To be here, at the Rijksmuseum today, and consider all that history within just this little print – fascinating, truly. Curator: Absolutely, it offers just a snapshot in a broader network of interpretations—I think the print achieves that. Thank you.