Gideon selecteert manschappen bij de rivier 1561 - 1579

This engraving, titled "Gideon Selects Troops by the River," presents a complex, tightly organized scene rendered in stark contrasts of light and shadow. The anonymous artist used line and composition to create a sense of depth and dynamism. Notice the structuring of the image into distinct zones – the figures drinking from the river in the foreground, Gideon overseeing the selection process on a raised platform, and the massed troops receding into the background. The artist uses contrasting textures, with the smooth skin of the figures offset by the rough rendering of the landscape. The act of selection and the arrangement of figures invite a semiotic reading. The river, a source of sustenance, becomes a testing ground, and the men's posture signals obedience and alertness. This print invites us to consider how spatial and formal arrangements contribute to the narrative and ideological underpinnings of the scene. The stark contrast in textures serves not merely as an aesthetic element, but also as a means of conveying the division between the chosen and the rejected.