Pieter Dirksz. Hasselaer houdt de wacht op de wallen van Haarlem en wordt door zijn moeder brood en lood gebracht, 1573 1848 - 1850

This engraving by Johann Wilhelm Kaiser depicts a scene from the siege of Haarlem in 1573, showing Pieter Hasselaer receiving supplies from his mother. The offering of bread and lead transcends a simple act of sustenance; it embodies maternal sacrifice, an echo of classical depictions of Caritas Romana, where filial piety is entwined with survival. Note the contrast between the nurturing offering of bread and the deadly lead, elements that recur throughout the ages. Think of Judith offering bread and wine to Holofernes, only to decapitate him, or Salome, whose dance led to John the Baptist’s execution. The protective mother and dutiful son is a recurring theme, and the psychological weight of such a gesture—the primal bond between mother and child, intensified by war—is powerfully engaging. This emotive symbol, endlessly refashioned, continues to resurface and resonate through time.