Slag tussen keizerlijke troepen van Tilly en Deense troepen bij Lutter, 1626 1626

This is Frans Hogenberg’s print depicting the Battle of Lutter in 1626, part of the Thirty Years' War. The scene is teeming with activity, rendered in meticulous detail through engraving. Notice how the composition is organized into distinct layers: the foreground, middle ground and background each depict different phases and locations of the battle. Armies are arranged in structured formations across the landscape, and are depicted with an almost obsessive attention to detail. This ordered arrangement lends a sense of clarity to the chaos of war, almost as if attempting to bring some sense of order to the events unfolding. Consider that Hogenberg created this work some time after the events of 1626. The organization might also symbolize a desire to impose a rational structure onto the complexities of warfare. By presenting a bird's-eye view, Hogenberg aims to offer a comprehensive, almost detached perspective on the battle. This detached viewpoint allows us to observe the strategies and movements of the armies, inviting contemplation on the nature of conflict.