Simeon en Levi doden de Sichemieten en nemen Dina mee naar huis 1582 - 1613

Pieter van der Borcht created this print, “Simeon and Levi Kill the Shechemites and Take Dinah Home,” using engraving techniques. The composition is divided into distinct spatial zones, from the detailed foreground carnage to the distant, idealized cityscape. The artist employs a dense network of fine lines to create texture and depth, guiding our eyes through the narrative. We move from the violence in the foreground, where bodies are strewn haphazardly, up towards the architectural order of the buildings. Van der Borcht disrupts traditional notions of heroism and morality by contrasting the graphic depiction of violence with the orderly composition of the city in the background. The formal structure enhances the symbolic weight of the scene, suggesting the brutal consequences of disrupted social contracts and the complexities inherent in acts of retribution. Notice how the sharp lines and stark contrasts serve not only to illustrate but to invite us to consider the ethical dimensions of power and revenge.