Witte van Haamstede vertoont zich in Haarlem in wapenrusting, 1304 1788

Jacobus Buys created this drawing, “Witte van Haamstede vertoont zich in Haarlem in wapenrusting, 1304,” using pen and gray ink with brush in gray. The composition centres on two opposing groups of figures within a constricted urban setting, creating a stage-like space for a historical reenactment. The visual structure employs linear perspective, drawing the eye towards the buildings in the background, but it is the contrast between the armored figure on the left and the gesticulating crowd on the right that dominates. The architecture, sketched with minimal detail, serves to amplify the central human drama. The figures are not merely illustrative; they are active participants in a semiotic display of power and resistance. The artist uses hatching and tonal variation to imply form and texture, but the overall effect is one of flatness, emphasizing the constructed nature of the image. It prompts us to question not only the historical event depicted, but also the visual codes used to represent it.