Gezicht op de binnenplaats van het Rasphuis te Amsterdam 1662

This is an anonymous engraving of the Rasphuis courtyard in Amsterdam, made in an unknown year. Notice the composition’s emphasis on geometric forms: the grid-like structure of the brickwork, the sharp angles of the working machinery, and the circular forms such as the arches above and the basket in the foreground. This formal clarity contrasts starkly with the chaotic scene of labor and punishment unfolding within the courtyard. The print's formal arrangement evokes a tension between order and disorder. The building, with its clear architectural lines, is a semiotic system in itself, a signifier of the societal structures meant to contain and control. Yet, the unruly actions of the inmates, their bodies contorted by labor and discipline, challenge this sense of control. Consider the figure being flogged—his body becomes a site of conflict, destabilizing the ordered space. The engraving raises questions about the relationship between space, power, and the human body. The print functions as a discourse on societal control, questioning whether the appearance of order can truly contain the disorder of human behavior.