Title

Jan van Speijk lights the gunpowder fuse, 5 February 1831, (1831-1850). Creator: Jacobus Schoemaker Doyer.

Caption

Jan van Speijk lights the gunpowder fuse, 5 February 1831, (1831-1850). Dutch naval lieutenant commander with the United Netherlands Navy who became a hero in the Netherlands for his opposition to the Belgian Revolution. The Belgians stormed Van Speyk's ship, demanding he haul down the Dutch flag. Rather than surrender his ship, he fired a pistol (some versions say he threw a lighted cigar) into a barrel of gunpowder in the ship's magazine. According to legend he shouted, "I'd rather be blown up then". The number of Belgians killed is unknown, though it probably numbered in the dozens. Twenty-eight of his 31 crewmen also perished in the blast.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM23A72_297

Model release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

27,1Mb (2,2Mb) / 9,1in x 11,5in / 2730 x 3464 (300dpi)

Keywords

transport transportation Europe people male man men painting guy ship ships tools tool hammer museum Netherlands Dutch color horn death deck war century explosive gesturing rebellion revolution concept suicide barrel barrels Navy hero explosives fuse hand gesture heroic warfare oil Painting heroism Colour on deck naval warfare 19th century water transport warship warships gunpowder nineteenth century naval officer Rijksmuseum TGN portrait on board Jan Jan van Oil on canvas Belgian Revolution naval ship Painting Heritage Art committing suicide Low Countries 19th-century lieutenant commander lieutenant-commander Jacobus Schoemaker Doyer Schoemaker Doyer Jacobus Doyer Jacobus Schoemaker Schoenmaker Doyer Jacobus Jacobus Schoenmaker Doyer Doyer Jacobus Schoenmaker Jan van Speiyk Speiyk Jan van Speijk Speijk Jan Carel Josephus van Speyk Speyk Jan Carel Josephus van van Speyk Jan Carel Josephus van Speiyk