Aankomst van de Oost-Indische vloot en de terugtocht van maarschalk de Villars 1711

This small, anonymous medal, likely made in the Netherlands in 1711, commemorates two seemingly disconnected events: the arrival of the East India fleet, and Marshall Villars’ retreat. Here we see a man riding an ass away from the shore and a fleet of ships, celebrating both the safe return of the fleet and the strategic retreat of the French army. It is interesting to see these two distinct events commemorated on the same object. It speaks to the interconnectedness of the Dutch economy and their political ambitions. The Dutch East India Company was crucial to the Dutch economy and global trade, and so its successes were of national importance. As historians, we can look to economic records and political documents to better understand the relationship between trade and the politics of 18th-century Netherlands. By studying these contexts, the meaning of art as something deeply embedded in social structures becomes clear.