Entry of St Nicholas c. 1870

This lithograph by Jan de Haan depicts the Entry of Saint Nicholas. We can see a bishop figure on horseback followed by a dark-skinned man, also on horseback, as they make their way into a town. The crowd is gathered to see them, with children scrambling to get a better view. The image creates meaning through its cultural references, particularly the Sinterklaas tradition celebrated in the Netherlands. The figure following the bishop is Zwarte Piet or Black Pete, a character who is now the subject of controversy. The depiction of Zwarte Piet raises questions about the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shape artistic production. As historians, we can use resources such as archival documents, newspaper articles, and studies of Dutch cultural history to gain a deeper understanding of the social and institutional context in which this lithograph was made. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.