Henrettelsen af kongen af Siracusa og hans familie 1574

This woodcut, made by Tobias Stimmer in the late 16th century, depicts the execution of the King of Syracuse and his family. The raised sword, a stark symbol of power and death, dominates the scene, reminiscent of ancient Roman executions. The act of decapitation, laden with historical and symbolic weight, echoes through time. We see it in ancient depictions of Holofernes beheaded by Judith, and later, in images of the French Revolution, where the guillotine became a symbol of radical change. The power of this image to shock and horrify remains constant. The executioner’s brutal gesture triggers a deep, almost subconscious recognition. The image taps into our collective memory of violence and injustice, resonating with a primal fear and a persistent yearning for justice. The motif of the fallen leader, a symbol of lost authority, reappears across cultures, each time colored by new historical realities, in an ongoing cycle of power and destruction.