Leger van David schakelt de strijdwagens en het voetvolk van koning Hadadezer uit 1538

Curator: Here we have a 1538 engraving by Hans Holbein the Younger, "Leger van David schakelt de strijdwagens en het voetvolk van koning Hadadezer uit"—"David's Army disables the chariots and infantry of King Hadadezer." It's currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression is… chaos. It's a rather small scene, yet it conveys a sense of total upheaval. The eye is immediately drawn to the violence depicted—the fallen figures, the panicked horses—it is surprisingly intense, considering its size. Curator: It's certainly dynamic. Holbein has skillfully depicted a scene of warfare from the Old Testament. Prints like these were incredibly influential in disseminating biblical stories and moral lessons during the Reformation. Holbein, being Swiss-German, positioned himself within this wider visual culture that profoundly impacted religious and social life at the time. Editor: Right. The Reformation used images like these to reinforce narratives of power and righteousness. David’s army is presented as divinely sanctioned, justified in their actions, while Hadadezer’s army represents the old order that needs to be dismantled. Consider how the medium—the relatively reproducible print—contributed to the spread of specific ideologies. Curator: Precisely. And Holbein was incredibly adept at aligning his art with powerful patrons, understanding the role of imagery in consolidating their authority and promoting certain values, so these prints end up in the hands of politically inclined and politically powerful buyers, thereby propagating those images more widely through different political circuits. Editor: Looking at the slain figures on the ground... there's something deeply unsettling about it. It almost normalizes brutality in service of religious and political agendas. The artist is undeniably skilled. I also wonder how much consideration the people of that period had for depicting the violence or morality of that violence. Curator: I think the very fact it is included in biblical texts makes the violence itself secondary to a divinely sanctioned war effort, it becomes exemplary violence. Editor: Exactly! I guess it highlights how visual culture can perpetuate inequality by turning these images into propaganda that serve power. Thank you, I am now reflecting on what these things could communicate within our contemporary visual cultures. Curator: The nuances of such imagery in the 16th century still impact discussions of conflict, religion and nationhood today. Editor: Absolutely, that’s why this kind of interdisciplinary and nuanced interrogation matters. Thank you.