Kleding en wapenrusting van de Bataven 1784 - 1786

Jacobus Buys made this drawing of Batavian clothing and armour with pen and gray ink and gray wash, sometime in the 18th century. The drawing revives an image of the Batavians, ancestors of the Dutch, who inhabited the Rhine delta during the Roman Empire. The clothing and armor depicted are not based on archeological finds. Instead, Buys drew on classical accounts and 18th century ideas about the "noble savage". The Batavians were seen as brave and freedom-loving. During the 18th century, the Dutch Republic faced internal political divisions and economic decline. The image of the Batavians served as a call to restore the virtues of the past. It was part of a broader cultural phenomenon of neo-classicism, which sought inspiration in the art and ideals of ancient Greece and Rome. The Rijksmuseum's collection contains prints, drawings, and historical documents related to the Batavians, which helps us to reconstruct the cultural significance of this image. Such objects are vital tools for historians to analyze the public role of art and the politics of imagery.