'French Fury' Ferdinand de Braekeleer . Belgium (1792-1883) Oil on canvas, circa 1827-1646. Hermitage Museum , St.Petersburg .

The "French Fury" was a failed attempt by Francois , Duke of Anjou to conquer the city of Antwerp by surprise on the 17th January , 1583 . During the Eighty years' War the States-General had asked in 1581 the French Duke to become head of state of the Seventeen Provinces , to obtain French support in expelling the Spanish troops. Anjou did not have much influence in the Netherlands , and attempted to seize more power . He decided to try to occupy Antwerp, the largest city of the Seventeen Provinces, by surprise. Antwerp had already been comprehensively sacked by Spanish troops in the 'Spanish Fury' of 1576 . Unfortunately for Anjou his plan was discovered . The inhabitants still traumatised by the Spanish plunder seven years earlier, were determined to prevent another occupation by foreign troops by all means possible . On the 17th January, 1583 , in an attempt to fool the citizens of Antwerp , Anjou asked to be permitted to enter the city in order to honour them with a 'Royal Entry' As soon as Anjou's troops entered the city , the gates of Antwerp were slammed shut behind them . Having lost the advantage of surprise , the small French army found itself hopelessly trapped within the city as it was bombarded from windows and rooftops with stones, rocks , logs and even heavy chains . The city's experienced garrison then opened up a deadly, point-blank fire on the troops . Only a few Frenchmen , including the Duke of Anjou , escaped . Over 1,500 troops perished , many of them hacked to death by the enraged citizens of Antwerp. ......Ferdinand de Braekeleer (1792-1883) was a Belgium painter. The son of poor parents , he was at first excepted by Mathieu van Brée's Art School for Orphans and later by the Antwerp Academie . He gained several prizes there in 1809 and 1811 and later distinguished himself in the Paris Salon of 1813 .