# Jan van Speijk Debating whether to Set Fire to the Gunpowder

- By: Jacobus Schoemaker Doyer (Krefeld, 1792–1867)
- Date: 1834
- Medium: canvas, oil paint (paint)
- Classification: painting
- Dimensions: height 89 cm x width 75 cm
- Credit line: On loan from the City of Amsterdam (A. van der Hoop Bequest)
- Museum: [Rijksmuseum](https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/SK-C-221--7acdc3ea1825acfb4068cb346a9ef33a)
- Rights: [Public Domain Mark](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/web/241303433858156b9e4a3cfc2bd81e82.jpg
- Who can see it: Adult profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

During the Belgian Revolution, Jan van Speijk was in command of a Dutch gunboat. When on 5 February 1831 the ship was in danger of falling into rebel Belgian hands, he decided to set fire to a keg of gunpowder. That moment is depicted here: Van Speijk has made up his mind, and his crew take to their heels. Van Speijk’s act of courage made him a national hero in the Netherlands.