Leeuw van Waterloo 1842

This print shows a precise depiction of the Lion’s Mound in Waterloo. Gérard has rendered the monument as a stark, imposing structure against a relatively plain landscape. The composition is dominated by the geometric form of the mound, a massive cone that rises to meet the sculpture of a lion on top. The formal clarity emphasizes the monument's artificiality and scale. The carefully etched lines create a sense of texture and depth, particularly in the rendering of the mound’s surface and the surrounding terrain. The structure's sheer size confronts our ideas of landscape and history, and its meticulous representation evokes the period’s focus on rationality and control over nature. The lion sculpture acts as a semiotic marker, symbolizing power and victory. The work doesn’t just represent a physical site but engages with broader themes of memory, power, and the construction of national identity.