Images of Warfare in Delft
In a recent television survey, ordinary Dutch people were asked what they thought of the national anthem. William of Nassau they knew, but why the homage to the King of Spain was a mystery. Perhaps the Images of Warfare exhibition at Delft's Prinsenhof (site of the assassination of the Prince of Orange in 1584) will refresh a few memories.
Birth of the Nation
The Eighty Years War is one of the most interesting periods in history, which saw the birth of the Dutch nation and its development into one of the most powerful countries in the world. The Prinsenhof Museum in Delft has provided an excellent start to
the commemorations marking the official recognition of the Dutch Republic with an exhibition entitled Images of Warfare. On the Way to the Peace of Münster(1621-1648).
Eighty Years War
The nice thing about this exhibition is that it does not focus on a summary of the events. Instead, the paintings, drawings and tiles show everyday life the way it was during the war.
As it turns out, surprisingly few Dutchmen actually died in battles. Most of the soldiers were mercenaries, the Swiss being particularly well-represented. Despite the major sieges conducted by Maurice and Frederick Henry, pitched battles were rare
events. Moreover, the naval actions were primarily a financial burden. And then there was the Twelve Year Truce, during which the standing army was maintained as a deterrent. Meanwhile each town had its own militia company of local volunteers.
Halt of an Army
A painting made in 1629 by Pieter de Neyn offers an impression of the Republic during the Eighty Years War. It is one of the earliest depictions of an army camp, or a halt of an army as these paintings were often called.
A regiment has pitched its tents on the outskirts of a village, where a simple ruined church tower recalls the devastation of war. In the foreground, two cavalry officers halt outside a cabin that serves as a tavern. A Dutch tricolour flies on the
roof.
A thirsty soldier only had to look for the familiar signboard and garland, as can be seen in Philips Wouwerman's painting where these mark the sutler's tent. Mobile taverns were part of an army's regular entourage. Women, children, tradesmen, beggars
and prostitutes often accompanied the soldiers on campaign, sometimes even outnumbering the actual fighting force.
Army camps must have been a common sight. Although the war against Spain only officially ended in 1648, in the final decades - apart from the sieges - there were few serious confrontations, most of the fighting being limited to border skirmishes.
Guardroom scenes
Another aspect of portrayals of army camps is the camaraderie among the soldiers, especially in guardroom scenes, or kortegaardjes. This Dutch term stems from the phrase corps de garde. These paintings, increasingly popular in the 1630s,
feature off-duty soldiers amusing themselves gambling, drinking, smoking or flirting with prostitutes. They are not always professional soldiers, sometimes the figures are volunteer citizens who have enlisted with the local militia.
Desperados
War had its ugly side too. Disaster loomed if a town failed to buy off its captors. Then the inhabitants could count themselves lucky if they escaped the plunder and mayhem with their lives. Gangs of marauding soldiers - either bored or angry at not
being paid - caused havoc when they turned to banditry. A painting by Jan Asselijn in which soldiers attack a convoy illustrates what could happen.
Vainglorious war
Benjamin Cuyp's Allegory of War should be seen in the context of the struggle then being waged between the Dutch Republic and Spain's occupying forces. Many soldiers died fighting in the Eighty Years War. But a fighting skeleton is hardly a
realistic image. Seventeenth-century viewers would naturally have recognised this as an allegory, the depiction of an idea. Skeleton represent death - which always wins in the end.
A skeleton with an hourglass sounding victory on a horn is a clear signal to the audience. The hourglass, skulls and bones, and the trumpets are all familiar vanitas symbols which regularly appear in still lifes. With these attributes the
skeleton heralds the transience of life as well as the triumph of death.
The painting embodies the idea that there can be only one reason to fight for power and wealth: vainglory. Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas, declares Ecclesiastes. Vanity is everywhere and rules our lives. Far better to seek spiritual
well-being and to aspire to a place in the kingdom of God.
War in Delft
The paintings lent by Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder for the exhibition reveal various aspects of military life in the Eighty Years War. For more information about these stirring times, a visit to Images of Warfare is a must. The exhibition at
Delft's Stedelijk Museum het Prinsenhof runs from 14 March to 14 June.
Images of Warfare. On the Way to the Peace of Münster (1621-1648) 14 March to 14 June
Stedelijk Museum het Prinsenhof
St Agathaplein 1
Delft
Tuesday to Saturday 10.00-17.00
Sunday 13.00-17.00
Tel. +31-15.260.2358