The mother-loving youth of Westzaan

Opzoomer painted scenes from the Dutch Revolt on several occasions, e.g. Magdalena Moons prays her fiance Francisco Valdez to postpone the assault on Naarden for one more night, 1574 in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. SK-C-294). The present scene depicts the heroic story of Lambert Meliszoon from Westzaan. On his flight, while towing his mother on a barrow over the ice, he is overtaken by pillaging Spanish soldiers. Upon discovering Lambert's mother, they decide to let him go untouched, deeply moved by this act of mother love.