Maximiliaan I van Habsburg, keizer van het Heilige Roomse Rijk, sluit vrede met Hendrik VII, koning van Engeland 1515

This print depicts Maximiliaan I van Habsburg making peace with Hendrik VII, king of England. Executed with fine lines and intricate detail, the print invites us to consider how it is arranged. The composition, split into distinct zones, employs a stark contrast between land and sea. On the lower half, armored figures stand rigidly, while in the foreground, a figure kneels, binding these figures together and drawing our eye to the naval vessels afloat in the background. Banners stand to the right and left, creating a semiotic system to interpret these figures of power. This use of contrasting elements—rigid figures versus submissive posture, land versus sea—creates a visual framework of power dynamics and negotiations. The artist destabilizes established meanings of conflict and resolution through visual cues. The peace treaty is thus not merely an event, but a carefully constructed scene that questions the nature of power.