The Conspiration of the Bataves

Catalogue number: Bredius 482.

In 1659 the City Council of Amsterdam decided to decorate the gallery of the newly built City Hall with paintings depicting the uprising of the Bataves against the Roman Empire in A.D. 69. The painting, depicting the oath of Claudius Civilis and the Batavians in the sacred grove, is a fragment, the originally it was about 550 x 550 cm, arched above.

This subject taken from the early history of the Netherlands was considered as a symbol of national independence and pride. From the eight pictures this was the first and the last since it was refused by the Council due to their dissatisfaction.