Vechtende soldaten in een stad 1574

“Fighting Soldiers in a City” is an early 17th-century woodcut by Christoffel van Sichem I, now residing in the Rijksmuseum. Sichem was working during the Eighty Years' War, a period defined by the Dutch struggle for independence from Spain, a conflict marked by intense violence and upheaval. This work depicts a chaotic scene of hand-to-hand combat. Soldiers clash amidst a city, with bodies strewn across the foreground, emphasizing the brutal realities of war. The image reflects the socio-political tensions of the time, capturing the pervasive sense of instability and conflict that shaped daily life. The choice of the woodcut medium, with its stark contrasts, heightens the emotional impact, underscoring the physical and psychological toll of war. Sichem’s work doesn't glorify warfare, but instead shows its human cost. In doing so, this artwork invites reflection on the enduring consequences of political and religious conflict.