Portret van Adriaan van den Santheuvel 1786

Mathias de Sallieth's print portrays Adriaan van den Santheuvel and was made using etching. In the print, the sitter is presented as an ideal citizen, one who serves his community and stands for its values. Made in the Dutch Republic, this image reflects a society where civic engagement was highly valued. Van den Santheuvel's roles as colonel in the local militia, council member, and leader in the Society for Freedom and Fatherland show this ideal. The book labeled "Leyden" grounds him in the local context of the city. The symbolism, like the coat-of-arms, is rooted in the institutions of the period. Was it self-consciously conservative or progressive? To understand the full meaning of this print, we can consult archives and historical records. These help us understand not only van den Santheuvel, but also the ideals of citizenship in the 18th-century Dutch Republic. The value of this artwork lies in its relationship to its social and institutional context.