Verovering van Kampen, 1578 1613 - 1615

This print of the Conquest of Kampen was made in 1578 by an anonymous artist, using engraving. The image presents a bird’s eye view of the siege, with troops on land and on the water, cannons at the ready and lines of soldiers advancing. This imagery would have had immediate political resonance in the Netherlands. Kampen was captured by States troops rebelling against Spanish rule. In the context of the Dutch Revolt, the print functions as propaganda, visually communicating the victory of the States party and inviting viewers to celebrate the uprising. The use of Latin text and the presence of the Latin name for the location of the siege indicate the importance of these prints to political struggles in the Netherlands. To further understand the Revolt, we could research the relationship between the Netherlands and Spain at the time. The Rijksmuseum's own archives contain many more prints and documents that could help to shed light on these tumultuous events.