Israelieten trekken over de Jordaan 1571

Pieter Huys created this small-scale print, *Israelites Crossing the Jordan,* sometime in the late 16th century. The composition teems with figures meticulously rendered in tightly packed lines, creating a dense, active scene. Huys divides the image into distinct spatial zones. In the foreground, we see the Israelites collecting stones, their forms bulky and imposing. Behind them, the artist depicts the procession of the Ark of the Covenant. In the background, we see a suggestion of a distant landscape with mountains and a city. The use of line is particularly striking. Huys employs hatching and cross-hatching to define forms and create a sense of volume. This technique also serves a symbolic function. The density of the lines in the foreground creates a sense of immediacy and activity. This contrasts with the more sparsely rendered background, which seems distant and ethereal. The print is a study in contrasts – between foreground and background, activity and stillness, earthly concerns and divine presence.