Beleg van Saint-Jean d'Angély, 1569 c. 1569 - 1571

This is Frans Hogenberg's 1569 engraving of the siege of Saint-Jean d'Angély, now held in the Rijksmuseum. Here, the fortified city looms large, a powerful symbol of both protection and vulnerability, under siege. Note the cannons and rising smoke, the banners carried aloft – the iconography of warfare, signaling dominance and conquest. Consider the echoes of ancient sieges, like those of Troy or Jerusalem, where city walls represented civilization itself, facing destruction. Throughout history, the depiction of sieges has served as a potent reminder of human conflict. From Roman friezes to Renaissance paintings, the motif recurs, each time imbued with the anxieties and aspirations of its age. These are more than just records of war, they are visual embodiments of our collective memories, where symbols of power, destruction, and resilience intertwine, engaging us on a profound, almost subconscious level. The cyclical nature of conflict is clear, this imagery resurfaces across centuries. As the meaning of the symbols evolved over time, they were passed down through history, shaped by cultural memory and adapted to new contexts.