Aanstaande Eenheid en Onverdeelbaarheid, van het Bataafse Gemenebest en de Alliantie, decoratie op het Stadhuis op de Dam, 1795 1795

This print, made in 1795 by an anonymous artist, depicts a proposed decoration for Amsterdam’s city hall. It shows a temporary structure intended to celebrate the alliance between the Batavian Republic and France. It is rendered using line engraving, a process where an image is incised into a metal plate and then printed. The linear precision would have allowed for multiple identical reproductions, spreading the Dutch Republic's message of unity. The design evokes classical architecture with its marble-like arches and obelisk, but also includes overtly political symbols of unity and strength. The act of production, transforming a concept into a repeatable image, speaks to the changing culture of the time. Here, making becomes synonymous with messaging, as printmaking technology facilitates a more democratic and far-reaching visual language. This artwork exemplifies how materials and methods can be mobilized to shape cultural identity and assert a nation’s ambitions.