Ahasuerus, when he could not sleep, consulting the Records 1563

Maarten van Heemskerck created this print, *Ahasuerus, when he could not sleep, consulting the Records,* using brown ink. The composition is structured around a play of horizontals and verticals, giving it a sense of classical order. Ahasuerus reclines in his bed on the left, while a figure stands reading from records in the center, and two guards stand on the right; the architectural framework in the background is as important as the figures it contains. The density of the line work varies across the print. In the foreground, there are dense cross-hatching that gives way to the smooth, open areas of the figures' skin and drapery. Heemskerck uses line not just to define form, but to create texture. The formal balance achieved through line, shape, and the calculated distribution of light and shadow encourages the viewer to consider how the story and structure interact. It is a testament to how form and content can merge in such narrative-rich works.