Twee ruiters op verkenning 1811 - 1867

Christiaan Wilhelmus Moorrees created this etching, titled 'Two Riders on Exploration', sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The men in this image are wearing cuirasses, a type of body armor which was popular in Europe during the early modern period. The work evokes the military history and patriotism of the Netherlands, particularly the Eighty Years' War, fought for independence from the Spanish Empire. Images such as these, made and consumed by a rising middle class, served to consolidate a sense of national identity. We can learn more about this image by researching not only Dutch history, but also the development of printmaking as a commercial enterprise, as well as the emergence of institutions like museums and art academies, which shaped artistic taste and practice. The meaning of this etching is contingent on its social and institutional context.