The Famished People after the Relief of the Siege of Leiden

Otto van Veen (mentioned on object), 1574 - 1629

When a city is surrounded by enemies, its people find themselves in a tight corner. Food is scarce and disease easily breaks out. Reasons enough for Leiden to almost surrender in 1574. But the city is liberated by the Rebel army, the relief comes in the nick of time. Swarms of famished and exhausted people await their liberators. The soldiers have brought food with them, mostly herring and white bread.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-3911
  • Dimensionsheight 40 cm x width 59.5 cm, depth 8.5 cm
  • Physical characteristicsoil on panel

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Identification

  • Title(s)

    • The Famished People after the Relief of the Siege of Leiden
    • Distribution of Herring and White Bread at the Relief of Leiden, 3 October 1574

  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-A-3911

  • Description

    De uitdeling van haring en wittebrood na de opheffing van het beleg van Leiden, 3 oktober 1574. Gezicht in Leiden waar de boten van de Geuzen over de rivier de Vliet haring en witbrood aanvoeren en uitdelen onder de verhongerde bevolking van de stad.

  • Inscriptions / marks

    • inscription: ‘Men was in groot verdriet / want eten was er niet / En 't volck van Honger schreijden / Ten laest ... God nedersiet / En sond door dese R. Vliet / Spijs, Brood en Dranck in Leijden.’
    • signature and date: ‘OVV F 1574 3 10.’

Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Otto van Veen (mentioned on object)

  • Dating

    1574 - 1629

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    oil on panel

  • Dimensions

    • height 40 cm x width 59.5 cm
    • depth 8.5 cm

This work is about

  • Person

  • Subject

  • Place

  • Period

    1574-10-03

Acquisition and rights

  • Acquisition

    purchase 1956-11-28

  • Copyright

    Public domain

  • Provenance

    Inv.; the dealer James Alexander Butti (1892-1918), Edinburgh;{According to a label on the reverse.}…; sale, Jakob Goldschmidt et al. [section William Maclean Homan (?-1956, Winchelsea, East Sussex)], London (Sotheby’s), 28 November 1956, no. 8, fl. 2,134.74, to the museum

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.

Documentation

    • Documentatiemap Schilderijen: aantekeningen R. van Luttervelt (voor 1963).
    • E. Kolfin, M. Rikken, A Very Personal Copy: Pieter van Veen’s Illustrations to Montaigne’s Essais, in: P.J. Smith, K.A.E. Enenkel, Montaigne and the Low Countries (1580-1700), Intersections 8, Leiden: Brill, 2007: p. 247-262. (toegeschreven aan Pieter van Veen)

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