Absaloms wraak 1559 - 1579

Philips Galle created this engraving, Absalom's Revenge, sometime in the late 16th century. The stark contrast between light and shadow immediately draws your eye to the chaotic scene unfolding before us. Galle masterfully uses line and composition to convey a narrative of violence and retribution. Notice how the artist employs a complex interplay of horizontal and vertical lines to structure the composition. The strong horizontal of the banquet table and the verticality of the columns frame the frenzied action. Galle uses diagonal lines of the bodies to create a sense of instability and disruption. This visual destabilization echoes the thematic content, challenging notions of order. The bodies contorted in struggle and the stark architectural elements combine classical motifs with a dramatic intensity which was typical of mannerism. It is an exploration of the breakdown of social order. The artwork serves as a potent reminder of the fragility of power and the enduring consequences of vengeance.