Beëdiging van het Regeringsreglement op de Grote Markt te Haarlem in 1787

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**Beëdiging van heteringsreglement op de Markt te Haarlem in1787** *Hermanus Numan (4–1825),, 118 × 119 mm* This intimate etching by Dutch artist Hermanus Numan captures a moment in Haarlem's history: the public swearing-in of the *Regeringsreglement*a new government regulation—on the Grote Markt in 1787. Numan, a skilled engraver known for his detailed cityscapes and historical scenes, immortalizes the ceremony amid the square's iconic architecture, blending crowd energy with civic formality. The small scale invites close viewing, revealing the artist's precision in rendering architecture, figures, and atmosphere. Created during the turbulent Patriot Revolution in the Dutch Republic, the artwork documents a flashpoint of political upheaval. Patriots, advocating democratic reforms against Stadtholder William V's authority, briefly seized control in cities like Haarlem, enacting regulations like this one to restructure local governance. Just months later, Prussian forces invaded, quelling the movement—making Numan's print a rare visual record of fleeting revolutionary zeal. As an etching, Numan's technique shines through fine, etched lines that convey texture and depth on a modest plate, a hallmark of 18th-century Dutch printmaking. Bearing a collector's mark (Lugt 2228) on the verso, it speaks to its enduring appeal among connoisseurs, offering visitors a window into the era's passions and Haarlem's vibrant public life.

About the Artist

Hermanus Numan · 1744–1820

Hermanus Numan (1744-1820) was one of the leading Dutch watercolourists of the eighteenth century and a versatile artist who worked across multiple media including painting, printmaking, and theater design. Born in Ezinge and trained in decorative arts before pursuing fine art, Numan developed into a specialist in landscape watercolors, particularly views of country estates and parks that he made ...