Spotprent op de Bataafse schout-bij-nacht Samuel Story, 1799 Possibly 1799

This is a print titled "Spotprent op de Bataafse schout-bij-nacht Samuel Story", made in 1799 by the British artist Thomas Rowlandson. It's an etching that offers a satirical commentary on the surrender of the Dutch fleet to the British. In this cartoonish depiction, Samuel Story is reduced to a figure of ridicule. Tears stream down his face, and he holds a paper declaring, "The traitors have refused to fight." The print reveals the political tensions of the time, highlighting the artist’s British perspective on the events. Rowlandson uses Story's body as a site of political commentary, exaggerating his form to mock the Dutch admiral. The emotional weight of the piece lies in the public shaming of Story, whose name becomes synonymous with cowardice and betrayal. It's a reminder of how images can be used to shape public opinion, constructing narratives of national identity and shame. The pathos of the image is a kind of propaganda.