Bellum & Artes

European ruling houses, linked through intricate family ties, leveraged political and religious alliances to assert inheritance claims. In addition to wielding weapons, these dynasties engaged in artistic diplomacy, using valuable artworks as symbols of power and diplomatic gestures. Despite being in wartime, substantial investments were made in art, highlighting the role of targeted image campaigns to enhance prestige and support for European royal courts. The actors in the war were the leading dynasties ruling European states, such as Spain, France, Denmark and Sweden, and represented the most powerful houses in the Holy Roman Empire. 

Johannes Wundes the Younger (active circa 1590–circa 1630) (rapier), Clemens Einhorn (dagger)
Ornamental weapons set of Elector John George I of Saxony
Rapier and dagger, German, before 1640. Rüstkammer, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Germany

When waging a war, princes and states assigned its organisation to private military enterprises. These were experts in the military and made a business out of war, enlisting mercenaries and leading the campaign. However, equipping and sustaining an army was extremely costly, so extorting contributions was inevitable, though put a heavy burden on the population. Many troops were ill-disciplined and plundered villages and cities, disregarding orders and martial law. 

War chest; armoured and suitable for use in the field with a sophisticated locking mechanism 
Rüstkammer, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Germany. Photo: Thomas Seidel

The Thirty Years’ War came with unparalleled loss of life and devastation, thus establishing a traumatic period in European history. Approximately one-third of the Holy Roman Empire’s population succumbed to violence, starvation, and disease. Civilian suffering was exacerbated by violent attacks, rapes, and lootings by both opposing and allied troops. Artists, drawing from their own war experiences, depicted these atrocities in their works, deliberately contrasting the horror with aesthetic appeal, which has resonated with contemporary collectors. 

Daniel Hubatka, former soldier, Documentation of war injuries, 1655 
Sächsisches Staatsarchiv - Hauptstaatsarchiv Dresden

The war, perceived as a European event, sparked a media boom with widespread circulation of printed news, including broadsheets and pamphlets. Both sides used these materials for propaganda, turning the media into a secondary battlefield for sharp satire and the dissemination of ‘fake news’. 

Simon van de Passe (?) ‘The Great European War Ballet’
Northern Netherlands, 1632. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands 
 

During the war, cultural goods became especially endangered objects. Royal rulers were aware of the importance of art treasures. Among others, lootings took place in the conquests of Heidelberg (1622), Mantua (1630), Mainz (1631), Munich (1632), Stuttgart (1634/35) and finally Prague (1648). The victors took ownership of artworks and books, adding them to their own collections or gifting them in exchange for favours. Given its background and eventful history, looted art from that period can be considered a significant part of Europe’s common cultural heritage. 

Domenico Fetti (1589–1623), David with the head of Goliath, 1614/1615  
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister photo: Elke Estel, Hans-Peter Klut
 

Efforts for peace after the 1618 conflict initially faltered until the 1648 Peace of Westphalia. Legal experts had laid the foundations for modern international law, limiting the right to wage war to sovereign states. Diplomats, as legal experts, played key roles in shaping peace negotiations. The Peace of Westphalia reorganised the Holy Roman Empire and granted sovereignty to the Netherlands and Switzerland. Despite peace in Europe remaining elusive, the peacemaking objectives persisted. The Nuremberg Implementation Congress in 1649-1650 consolidated the initially fragile peace by ensuring the demobilisation of troops, resulting in a celebratory festival marking the war’s end. 

Ratification of the Peace Treaty of Osnabrück by Queen Christina of Sweden, Stockholm, 18 November 1648
Sächsisches Staatsarchiv – Hauptstaatsarchiv, Dresden, Germany
 

Despite the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Europe did not achieve lasting peace. Wars, militarisation, and colonial expansion continued, leading to devastating conflicts. Efforts for universal peace through initiatives such as the Hague Conventions and the League of Nations were undermined by the two World Wars. While the European Union has prevented member states from waging war against each other since World War II, the threat of conflict persists in Europe, whilst continually being condemned as a means of achieving political goals. 

Martin John Callanan (born 1982), Wars during my lifetime, 2014, video, 14'.20", Courtesy of the artist