Uittocht van zeshonderd gewapende Amsterdamse burgers naar Utrecht, 17 juli 1787 - Jan Evert Grave

A detailed historical etching by Jan Evert Grave documenting the departure of armed Amsterdam citizens for Utrecht in 1787.

This etching by Jan Evert Grave documents a specific political event during the Patriot era in the Netherlands. On 17 July 1787, six hundred armed citizens from Amsterdam departed for Utrecht to support the Patriot cause against the Orangist faction. The composition captures the scene along a waterway, where soldiers and civilians gather near a large building surrounded by trees. Small boats occupy the foreground, while the main body of troops stands in formation along the bank. The artist employs precise line work to delineate the uniforms, the architectural details of the structure, and the rigging of the vessels on the water.

Grave, a Dutch engraver active in the late eighteenth century, provides a clear visual record of the logistical aspects of this mobilisation. The print functions as a reportage of the period, reflecting the tension between the Patriot movement and the supporters of the Stadtholder. The sky is rendered with light, horizontal hatching, suggesting a calm atmosphere that contrasts with the military activity below. The perspective is wide, allowing the viewer to observe the scale of the gathering and the surrounding environment. The work is typical of the period's interest in recording contemporary political history through print media, providing a window into the social and military organisation of the time. The attention to detail in the clothing and the equipment of the men offers insight into the material culture of the late eighteenth-century Netherlands. This piece is a valuable example of historical printmaking, capturing a moment of civil unrest and political transition with technical clarity and observational rigour.