Beleg van Breda (blad met ruiters), 1637 1637

Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst etched "Siege of Breda (Sheet with Riders)" around 1637, now held at the Rijksmuseum. Here, riders march towards the city of Breda. The commander, in the left foreground, gestures with his right hand, his plumed hat a symbol of rank. This gesture, the raised hand, is no mere signal. It echoes through the ages—consider the Roman emperors depicted in similar commanding poses, or even religious figures bestowing blessings. It speaks to authority, to destiny. Such gestures tap into our collective unconscious. We see it again and again, across cultures and eras, each time subtly shifting. Here, it is a call to arms, a potent image designed to stir feelings of patriotism and valor, engaging viewers on a primal, subconscious level. The march towards Breda is not just a military maneuver but a reenactment of humanity’s unending dramas of power and conflict.