Gedicht op het zwaard waarmee Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1619 zou zijn onthoofd 1743 - 1745

Here we see Frans Greenwood’s early 18th-century meditation on the sword that beheaded Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1619. The writing, elegantly inscribed, evokes not merely a historical event, but also something deeper. Consider the sword itself: historically a symbol of power and justice, yet here it is an instrument of brutal finality. The sword carries echoes of ancient sacrificial rites, where the blade was the divider between life and the divine. This act of beheading recalls images of John the Baptist. The motif of the beheading appears across cultures, from Salome’s dance to Judith’s triumph, each carrying layers of meaning. The image holds a visceral power. It engages our deepest fears of mortality and justice, compelling us to confront the cyclical nature of power. It reminds us that symbols are never static but constantly evolving.