Soldiers plundering a farm, Sebastiaen Vrancx
Representations of the horror and misery of war are relatively rare in the 17th century, measured by the number of glorifying portraits of rulers and generals and battle scenes. In the southern Netherlands, however, a variant of the military genre image was established, which primarily showed the plundering of peasant villages by mercenaries and addressed violence directly. An example of this genre is this picture, which drastically illustrates the brutality with which the Soldateska (band of soldiers) took action against the simple rural population: an unarmed man is pushed to the ground by a soldier who is just about to sting with his sword, surrounded by two desperate women. A man escapes, but a musketeer has already fired a shot at him. In the middle of the room lies a slain man, further behind a soldier threatens a woman. A sutler plunders the crockery rack, a boy hits a goose - and a toddler stands helplessly screaming in the tumult.
                                
Discover more Old Masters in the following collections:
 The endangered swan, Jan Asselijn
The endangered swan, Jan Asselijn The mill at Wijk bij Duurstede, Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael
The mill at Wijk bij Duurstede, Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael Queen Elizabeth of Bourbon
Queen Elizabeth of Bourbon Flower arrangement, Jan Davidsz. de Heem
Flower arrangement, Jan Davidsz. de Heem A Amsterdam street scene - Adrianus Eversen
A Amsterdam street scene - Adrianus Eversen The goldfinch, Carel Fabritius
The goldfinch, Carel Fabritius Vincent van Gogh. Flower beds in Holland
Vincent van Gogh. Flower beds in Holland Jacob Maris - Fishing boat
Jacob Maris - Fishing boat The School of Athens, Raphael
The School of Athens, Raphael Almond blossom painting by Vincent van Gogh
Almond blossom painting by Vincent van Gogh The Mirror, Robert Reid
The Mirror, Robert Reid Portrait of a woman, anonymous - 1633
Portrait of a woman, anonymous - 1633 The Milkmaid - Vermeer painting
The Milkmaid - Vermeer painting Agapanthus, Claude Monet
Agapanthus, Claude Monet Vincent van Gogh. Olive orchard
Vincent van Gogh. Olive orchard Cypresses
Cypresses The Artist’s Garden in Giverny, Claude Monet
The Artist’s Garden in Giverny, Claude Monet The great wave of Kanagawa, Hokusai
The great wave of Kanagawa, Hokusai Italian landscape with pine trees, Hendrik Voogd
Italian landscape with pine trees, Hendrik Voogd Bouquet of flowers on white background (seen at VT Wonen)
Bouquet of flowers on white background (seen at VT Wonen)