Please note: you may need to download this presentation in order to view it. In 2005, the Dutch government became concerned about the lack of a distinct Dutch social, cultural and political identity among young citizens, which led to the creation of the Dutch Canon. In 2009, the government provided a dedicated fund to promote Dutch culture (inter)nationally through comics. This paper shows how in response major Dutch museums, art institutions, and cultural funding bodies joined forces to provide artistic, political, financial and promotional support, resulting in biographical graphic novels, such as Vincent (2012), Rembrandt (2013), and Jheronimus (2015). The portrayed artists are positioned as essential elements of Dutch artistic heritage. Through the Dutch Canon, they have also become part of the national school curriculum, and have long been assimilated into popular perceptions of ‘historic Dutchness’. Co-commissioned by major Dutch art museums, the graphic narratives targeted a traditionally ...