Vernielen en verbranden door de Watergeuzen van de Spaanse schepen bij Den Briel, 1572 1832

Hendrik Vettewinkel's "Vernielen en verbranden door de Watergeuzen van de Spaanse schepen bij Den Briel, 1572" (1832) depicts a pivotal moment in Dutch history: the capture of Brielle by the Watergeuzen in 1572. The scene shows the burning and destruction of Spanish ships, a defining act of rebellion that marked the beginning of the Eighty Years' War. Vettewinkel masterfully portrays the chaos and destruction, with smoke billowing from the burning vessels and figures scrambling amidst the chaos. This watercolor painting, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, offers a visual representation of a crucial event that shaped Dutch national identity.