Triumphal Procession 

This engraving is Sebald Beham's "Triumphal Procession," made around the mid-16th century. The composition unfurls horizontally, a frieze of figures and vehicles densely packed together. Beham’s use of line is particularly striking. Notice how he uses hatching and cross-hatching to create depth and shadow, giving volume to the figures and objects within the essentially two-dimensional space. The subject matter, a triumphant procession, would have been familiar to viewers of the time, rooted in classical antiquity. Yet, Beham’s treatment is not merely representational. There's a tension between the subject’s grandness and the almost claustrophobic density of its depiction, creating a sense of unease. Is Beham celebrating triumph, or subtly critiquing its excess? Consider also how the engraving’s medium—the stark contrast of black ink on white paper—emphasizes the graphic quality of the image. This allows Beham to play with form and space, inviting us to question the values and meanings embedded within such displays of power. What we are left with is not a clear message, but an invitation to reflect critically on triumph itself.