Spotprent op verwerping van het Plan van Constitutie, 1797 1797 - 1798

Pieter van Woensel etched this print in 1797, in response to the rejection of a proposed constitution in the Batavian Republic. The print is a window into the political turmoil of the late 18th-century Netherlands. Following French occupation, the old order was swept away and replaced with a republic inspired by revolutionary France. This new government sought to codify its principles in a constitution, but the proposal was deeply divisive. Van Woensel captures the heated debates and social upheaval of the time. Look at the figures. They appear to be ordinary citizens, yet they carry the weight of political decision-making. The posters in the background display the proposed constitution, becoming a battleground for public opinion. The image is a reminder that the institutions of art and government are always deeply intertwined with the lives and opinions of the people they are supposed to serve. To fully understand this artwork, we might look at period newspapers and pamphlets, exploring the arguments for and against the proposed constitution, to gain insights into the social and political context that shaped Van Woensel's work.