Deventer voor de Staten ingenomen, 1578 c. 1581 - 1585

This engraving, "Deventer voor de Staten ingenomen, 1578," was created by Frans Hogenberg around 1578. The composition is dominated by the imposing architecture of a building at the heart of the captured city. Hogenberg uses a high vantage point. He creates a bird's eye view. It allows the viewer to survey the capture of Deventer. The artist manipulates perspective and scale to represent the dynamics between architecture and the human figure. It is a stage for the unfolding drama. The structured and ordered architecture contrasts with the dynamic, seemingly chaotic movement of the soldiers, inviting us to consider the relationship between power, space, and social order in times of conflict. Note how the lines of the buildings and the formations of soldiers create patterns. These patterns highlight the structured nature of conflict and governance. They also suggest the imposition of order onto the chaotic realities of war. Through this interplay of form and content, Hogenberg's engraving captures a moment of transformation and transition, reflecting the shifting power dynamics of its time.