Spitsroeden lopen 1573

"Spitsroeden Lopen" by Jost Amman, is a print of an engraving, an image of stark contrasts, made with precise lines. At first glance, the eye is drawn to a circle of soldiers, a stark division between the ring of spectators and the linear procession of the punished. This composition directs our gaze to the brutal act at its centre, and the lines of spears create a visual pathway. The figures in the foreground are more detailed, setting up a contrast with the distant, less defined masses, evoking a sense of depth. Here, Jost Amman uses the print medium not just to depict an event, but to probe the very ideas of justice and public spectacle. The circular structure and the sharp, unforgiving lines of the spears challenge any sentimental reading. Rather, the artwork invites us to question the structures of power and the spectacle of punishment.