Allegorie op de dood van Joan Derk van der Capellen tot den Pol, 1784 1784

Dirk Langendijk created this allegory on the death of Joan Derk van der Capellen tot den Pol in 1784. At the heart of the image, a seated woman mourns, her grief a symbol of the loss felt by a nation. Van der Capellen, a nobleman, stood as a beacon of progressive thought in the late 18th-century Netherlands. He championed the cause of the Patriots, advocating for greater democratic freedoms, and challenged the established order of the Stadtholder. His beliefs were considered dangerous, his criticisms of the ruling elite marked him as a radical, but his words resonated with many who yearned for change. Langendijk uses allegory to highlight the significance of his death, and the perceived loss to Dutch society. Note the broken chains and the figures surrounding the woman, who is a representation of the Dutch Republic. This artwork then, is not just a memorial but a statement on the political and social struggles of a nation on the brink of transformation.