Gevangenneming van de Russische generaal Hermann tijdens de slag bij Bergen, 1799 1803

Jacob Ernst Marcus made this print, The Capture of the Russian General Hermann at the Battle of Bergen in 1799. It depicts a moment from the Batavian Revolution, when French revolutionary forces and their allies fought against the armies of the old order. Notice how Marcus uses dramatic lighting and chaotic composition to convey the intensity of the battle. The image creates meaning through visual codes, alluding to the broader political context of late 18th-century Europe. The Batavian Republic was formed with the support of revolutionary France, in opposition to the Dutch Stadtholder, Willem V, who was supported by Great Britain and Prussia. The print is not just a record of a specific event; it is a political statement. Art historians can analyze such artworks by looking at military records, political pamphlets, and other visual representations of the period to more fully understand the context from which it came. The meaning of this print is contingent on these broader social and institutional contexts.