Vier kardinaalshoeden op stokken, plaat L 1530 - 1536

This engraving titled "Vier kardinaalshoeden op stokken, plaat L" was made by Nicolaas Hogenberg. The linear precision, and the arrangement of figures on horseback, create a formal procession. Above them, are the titular cardinal hats held aloft on poles, each rendered with meticulous detail. The composition divides the image into distinct registers. The upper register contains heraldic symbols and text framed by elaborate ornamentation, which could be a semiotic system intended to convey status and authority through signs and symbols. Below, the procession unfolds horizontally, its rhythm dictated by the repetition of figures and their mounts. The lines are clean and precise, giving a sense of order and clarity. This formal arrangement serves to underscore the power and ceremony inherent in the image, emphasizing the structural and semiotic elements that communicate meaning beyond the mere depiction of figures. Art historical meaning, however, is never fixed, but is always open to reinterpretation.