An Attack on a City 

This miniature, "An Attack on a City," was made by the Limbourg brothers likely in the early 15th century. The intensity of the conflict is subtly conveyed through the organization of shapes, the color palette, and the positioning of elements within the frame. The foreground is dominated by soldiers, their compact, uniform forms creating a dense, almost impenetrable mass. The limited color range—mostly earth tones—underscores the grimness of the scene. Above, the towering castle, rendered in cool grays and blues, offers a stark contrast. Its height and detail suggest both strength and vulnerability. The Limbourgs use a structural device of contrasting the dynamism of the human action below with the static architecture above. Ultimately, the lasting impact of this work rests not only on its depiction of a historical event, but also on its formal tensions and the interplay between color, form and space. The image thus becomes a study of how power and resistance are visualized through artistic expression.