Banquet of Eighteen Guardsmen of Squad L, Amsterdam 1566, known as 'The Perch Eaters' 1566

This is Dirck Barendsz’s 'Banquet of Eighteen Guardsmen of Squad L, Amsterdam, 1566', now held at the Rijksmuseum. It captures a moment of communal celebration among the guardsmen, but it’s the act of communal feasting itself that resonates deeply within the collective human experience. Consider the shared meal: a motif echoing through time, from the Last Supper to countless secular gatherings. Here, the guardsmen are captured sharing food, a symbol of unity, camaraderie, and the sustaining bonds of society. This echoes similar motifs found in ancient Roman banquets. The arrangement of figures around a table evokes the symbolic power of the circle, representing wholeness, equality, and shared purpose. This harkens back to archaic rituals, where communal eating was intrinsically linked to solidarity and the reinforcement of social ties. The act of sharing food becomes a potent symbol, tapping into our subconscious understanding of community and belonging. It is a powerful and universal image engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level.