Na dat gij soete jongelingen / Altijt tracht na nieuwe dingen (...) 1716

This is an undated print by Jan Bouman, made with woodcut and some coloring, and held at the Rijksmuseum. The artwork is dominated by a grid-like composition, sectioning off twenty-four individual scenes, each a window into biblical narratives. The scenes are defined by sharp, clean lines, and a restricted palette of muted greens, browns, and reds that convey both the simplicity and gravity of the depicted events. The structure here serves more than just aesthetics, it operates as a semiotic system, where each scene functions as a sign pointing to a larger religious and moral narrative. The lack of elaborate detail in the visual elements pushes the viewer to engage actively, interpreting the signs within each frame. Bouman's woodcut destabilizes established meanings through its very form, it takes the sacred narratives and presents them in an accessible format, challenging the fixed, hierarchical structures of religious representation. In conclusion, the print's formal qualities and use of semiotic structures make it a compelling artifact, one that not only narrates biblical tales but also opens avenues for ongoing interpretation, where meaning is constructed through the interaction of image, text, and viewer.