History of War

MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS

Painted by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Massacre of the is a recasting of the Biblical killings ordered by King Herod. Bruegel transferred the scene from Judea to a wintry 16th century village in the Spanish Netherlands. Flemish villagers are graphically depicted being attacked by Spanish soldiers and German mercenaries. The painting is believed to be a commentary on the behaviour of Spanish soldiers in the build-up to the outbreak of a Dutch revolt against Spanish rule. This turned into the bloody Eighty Years’ War.

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