Titelprent van de prentserie van uniformen van het Legioen van de Rijngraaf van Salm, 1785 1785

This is the title print from a series of uniforms of the Legion of the Rhine Count of Salm, made in 1785 by an anonymous artist. The visual symbols here lie primarily in the text itself. The lettering evokes a sense of order and hierarchy through its varied font sizes and neat arrangement, reflecting the rigid societal structures of the 18th century. This precise typographic order contrasts sharply with the chaos of the battlefield. Consider how the visual presentation of text has been used throughout history to assert authority. From ancient Roman inscriptions to medieval illuminated manuscripts, the very act of writing carries a certain power. Here, the careful arrangement of letters serves to legitimize the military power it represents. The non-linear progression of symbols is evident in how written language itself, evolving from pictograms to abstract forms, maintains its potency across millennia, each age imbuing it with new meanings.