Kenau Simonsdr Hasselaer

Unknown artist

Kenau Hasselaer was said to have defended her city heroically and with total disregard for her safety during the Spanish siege of Haarlem in 1573. She was the subject of later portraits and written accounts. All of it, however, was invented, a thrilling legend typical of the times. In Dutch usage, a ‘kenau’ is a woman who is not afraid of anybody or anything.