Festa della Sensa (tiende gedeelte) 1679

Jost Amman created this section of "Festa della Sensa" using woodcut techniques. The print presents a dichotomy between the stability of the shore and the dynamism of the sea. Above, the horizontal lines of the architectural setting and the figures standing on the shore provide a sense of order. The figures are neatly arranged, their formal attire indicating a composed social hierarchy. Below, the sea is alive with undulating lines, illustrating choppy waves. Here the composition is driven by diagonals that suggest movement and instability. The gondolas cut through the water, carrying their passengers through an unpredictable environment. This division suggests a formal and conceptual split between the earthly and the maritime, the static and the dynamic. Amman skillfully employs line and composition to visually articulate these contrasting realms.