Allegorie op oorlog 1787 - 1828

Ludwig Gottlieb Portman created this allegory on war as an engraving, and it now resides in the Rijksmuseum. The image presents a classical vision of warfare. Made in the late 18th or early 19th century, the print reveals how the art world was deeply embedded in the politics of imagery. Here, Mars, the God of War, sits passively with his lion, as Clio, the muse of history, documents his deeds. The symbols are clear: Mars represents courage and military might, while Clio embodies memory, writing, and the institutionalization of history. In the background are the spoils of war. The print suggests a world in which military conflict is a glorious, historically important endeavor. But how might the print challenge such norms? Is it glorifying war or simply observing it? To know more, we can consult historical texts, military records, and other visual representations of war from this period. By understanding the print’s historical context, we can see its meaning as contingent on ever-shifting social and institutional forces.