Fish Construction in Honor of the Entry of Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand into Ghent in 1635 1636

Anton van der Does created this engraving, “Fish Construction in Honor of the Entry of Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand into Ghent in 1635,” using etching and engraving. The composition is dominated by a fantastical marine structure, featuring a large fish centerpiece surrounded by smaller aquatic creatures, each adorned with cherubic figures. Notice the detailed etching that defines the scales of the fish and the rippling water. The artist juxtaposes the organic forms of the sea creatures with the geometric precision of the architecture in the background. This tension plays with the traditional hierarchies of nature and culture. The fish, a symbol of abundance and transformation, is elevated to a monumental scale. It thus challenges established meanings. Van der Does uses line and form not just to depict a scene, but to create a dialogue between the real and the imagined. Consider how the precise lines of the architecture contrast with the fluid forms of the water and fish. It destabilizes conventional perspectives and engages viewers in a semiotic game, challenging us to decode the layers of meaning embedded within the image.