Horses in War and Piece Horses in War and Piece | Page 14

It is a scaled-down reproduction, in pure silver, of the famous statue that currently
stands in the courtyard of the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
This sculpture was produced by Hunt & Roskell, a firm
of silversmiths and jewellers to Queen Victoria based
in Bond Street, London. It was designed by the French
sculptor Count Émilien de Nieuwerkerke (1811-1891)
after the statue in The Hague. Another bronze version
of the original work, cast by Eck et Durand, is held in the
Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Museum in Karlsruhe,
Germany.
This impressive sculpture reflects the
pivotal role that William I, who led
the Dutch revolt against the Spanish
Habsburgs. Born to a noble family of
German Protestants, William converted
to Roman Catholicism as a youth as
a condition for inheriting the title of
Prince of Orange. William became
close to the Habsburg family and
served them as a member of the court
of Margaret of Parma, governor of the
Spanish Netherlands. Charles V was
fond of William, and in 1555 made him
the commander of his troops stationed
on the Empire’s border with France.
When Charles V abdicated, his son,
Philip II, became King of Spain. Philip
II was concerned about the spread of
Protestantism in the Low Countries,
and determined to eradicate it using
force. William, who was unhappy
with Phillip’s persecution of Dutch
Protestants and the centralisation of
power towards Spain, turned against
his former masters. He re-converted
to Protestantism and, in 1568, led a
rebellion against Philip II. William’s
nickname, William the Silent, describes
his reputation as a taciturn and cautious
individual. However, he proved
highly determined in battle, and led
the Dutch to several successes in the
fight against the Spanish. Declared an
outlaw by Philip II in 1580, William was
assassinated in Delft in 1584. Despite
his death, he succeeded in his aim of
founding a free and independent Dutch
republic.
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