Ontzet van Leiden, 1574 1612 - 1614

Willem de Haen made this print, Ontzet van Leiden, in 1574. It commemorates the end of the Spanish siege of Leiden during the Eighty Years' War, a pivotal moment in Dutch history. The print shows the city celebrating its liberation. The people are emaciated from famine but joyful. The visual language emphasizes abundance, with the allegorical figures of abundance framing the scene. The work highlights the themes of freedom, resilience, and Dutch identity. The Dutch revolt against Spanish rule was fueled by religious and economic grievances, with the siege representing a crucial point of resistance. The institutional history of the Dutch Republic, with its emphasis on civic virtue and Protestant values, deeply influenced the art of this period. The print would have circulated widely as propaganda. To fully appreciate this image, we must look at contemporary sources, such as pamphlets and chronicles, to understand the complexities of the war and the symbolic meanings attached to it.