A contemporary artistic interpretation of the Siege of Leiden (1574)

Yesterday I visited the Lakenhal museum in Leiden, which by chance was hosting the last day of an exhibition on the Siege and Relief of Leiden (1574), a major episode in Dutch history. The background were the religious and political disputes between the catholic Spanish rulers and the large protestant population, led by charismatic leaders such as William of Orange (who then went on to become the first Dutch king [CORRECTION: See E. Schliesser's comment below]). The Spanish were determined to conquest the rebel areas by force, and had already violently subjugated the cities of Naarden and Haarlem. But after an unsuccessful campaign in Alkmaar, the Spanish rulers opted for a different approach, and began a siege of the city of Leiden in 1573. For the first siege, the city was well-prepared and could withstand the siege, which was then terminated after a few months. But in May 1574 a second siege began, and this time Leiden was not prepared , in particular with no special food supplies.

The population had then to endure very dire circumstances, including not only hunger but also a plague epidemic. The leader of the rebels, William of Orange, had asked the city to hold out and not to surrender for three months, the necessary time to prepare a counter-campaign to liberate them. The plan was to cut the water dikes, so that the relieving fleet could come by boats, but also entailing the flooding of large areas (which is indeed what happened eventually). By the end of September the situation had become unbearable for the Leiden citizens, who were then clamoring for surrender. In one of the most dramatic episodes of the whole siege, burgomaster van der Werf is reputed to have offered his own body (on some accounts, his arm) to the hungry people in order to lift the morale and counter the claims for surrender.

Eventually, through a combination of military dexterity and climatic luck, the rebel boats were able to reach Leiden and chase the Spaniards away. The city was liberated on October 3^rd 1574, and for centuries this remained a widely celebrated date in the whole country, representing the endurance of the local population against foreign dominance. It was only superseded in its symbolic importance after World War II, and now it is the liberation from that German invasion in 1945 that is celebrated (on May 5^th). But the city of Leiden and surroundings still proudly celebrate October 3^rd, with popular celebrations and street partying.

Another relevant piece of information is that, to reward the citizens of Leiden for their bravery, William of Orange founded Leiden University in 1575, the first university in the Netherlands. (On a personal note: I did my PhD in Leiden, so I feel a kind of personal connection with the whole episode.)

Anyway, rather than talking about Dutch history, this long historical prelude was necessary for me to address the actual topic of this post, namely a newly produced artistic rendering of the Siege and Relief of Leiden. Monumental historical paintings were a popular genre for centuries, and include masterpieces such as Rembrandt’s 'De Nachtwacht' and Goya's 'The shootings of May third'. The Siege of Leiden has provided inspiration for many such works as well, in particular the dramatic story of burgomaster van der Werf offering his own life to calm down the spirits. The Lakenhal has an impressive painting inspired by the episode by van Bree (1816):

But as a genre, monumental historical paintings fell out of fashion somewhere in the 19^th century, and one might think that the genre could not possibly give rise to novel interpretations or artistic innovation. However, last year the Lakenhal and Leiden University commissioned a new monumental interpretation of the Siege of Leiden to photograph Erwin Olaf, and the beautiful end-result is now to be seen in the museum:

The result is absolutely stunning: seen from afar, one could easily mistake the work for a classic painting of the Dutch Golden Age, reminiscent of Rembrant and other acclaimed masters. But from up close, one is surprised to notice that the different characters in the painting are in fact ‘real people’, who have been photographed by Olaf separately (all in the St. Peter’s Church in Leiden) and then put together in the final composition. The use of light contrast is indeed very much in the spirit of the classic 17^th century Dutch paintings, and yet the use of modern technology ensures an unmistakable ‘modern’ feel to the work. Olaf has also taken into account the most recent historical discoveries on the whole episode, including the recent conclusion that, more than hunger, the plague was the main cause of death among the population (the city had a population of 15.000, of which 6.000 are thought to have died during the second siege). The work depicts some of the main characters of the episode but also the misery of the local population, dying of plague and hunger.

Besides the main monumental work, the project has also resulted in a series of still-lives and portraits, in exhibition at the University Library in Leiden. A making-of video of the whole process can be watched here. What I found most fascinating about the whole project and the results is the combination of modern technology in the service of an ‘old’ artistic genre, all against the background of extensive historical research.

Leiden is an extremely pleasant place for touristic explorations – and philosophers have a few reasons to be particularly interested, among others the Descartes House and the Spinoza House in nearby Rijnsburg. So here is yet another recommendation of a must-see in Leiden: the Lakenhal and in particular Erwin Olaf’s majestic interpretation of the Siege of Leiden.