Inname van Maastricht door de Spanjaarden, 1579 1855

This lithograph, "Inname van Maastricht door de Spanjaarden, 1579" (Capture of Maastricht by the Spaniards, 1579), was created in 1855 by the Dutch artist Jan Frederik Christiaan Reckleben. The artwork depicts a scene of exhaustion and defeat, with Spanish soldiers sleeping near a cannon. This piece, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, provides a glimpse into the aftermath of the 1579 siege of Maastricht, a pivotal moment in the Eighty Years' War. The scene is captured with an intimate detail and realism, capturing the human cost of war and the fragility of life in the face of conflict.