Historische optocht bij het tweede eeuwfeest van de Utrechtse Hogeschool, 1836 (plaat 9) 1837

Victor Adam created this pen lithograph, “Historische optocht bij het tweede eeuwfeest van de Utrechtse Hogeschool, 1836,” in 1836. What immediately strikes you is the linear procession across the landscape, articulated with a fine, almost obsessive attention to detail. Note how the artist utilizes horizontal lines to organize the composition into distinct groups marching towards a unified direction. We can examine Adam's use of line here as more than just representational. The lines generate a structural rhythm that speaks to the order and tradition celebrated in the historical parade. The visual rhythm suggests a deeper cultural need for structure during this era. The monochromatic palette, coupled with the precision of the lines, gives the lithograph a documentary quality, yet it’s also an interpretation. This work uses formalism to not just record an event but to interpret its cultural importance through the language of lines and forms.