Gedenkplaat bij 50-jarige herdenking van de Slag bij Waterloo, 1865 1865

Eduard Ade created this print in 1865 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Prints like this circulated widely in the mid-nineteenth century, often distributed through periodicals. Reproducing images was big business. The popular press played a key role in shaping public memory and national identity. Here, we see scenes from the battle and portraits of key leaders, framed by symbolic foliage. This wasn’t just history; it was also myth-making. Waterloo was a complex coalition victory, but the print simplifies it to focus on heroic figures and national pride. Consider how the Dutch context shaped the image. The Netherlands had only recently gained independence from Napoleonic France. This print helped solidify a sense of Dutch identity through the lens of this pivotal historical event. To understand this image better, we can research the popular print market in the Netherlands. This illuminates how mass media shaped understandings of history and nationhood. Art like this offers insights into the social and institutional forces that shape our perception of the past.