Schouwburg van den oorlog (blad XV), 1714 Possibly 1714 - 1722

Pieter Schenk's engraving, Schouwburg van den oorlog, from 1714, presents a sequence of scenes rendered in precise detail. The work's structure is immediately apparent: a grid of nine distinct panels, each a miniature stage for scenes of war and diplomacy. Schenk uses line work to construct depth and texture within the monochromatic palette, leading our eye through each tableau. The composition of each panel reflects a broader semiotic system, where architectural settings, costume, and posture signal power, negotiation, and conflict. The visual arrangement invites us to decode the relationships between these images, reflecting the rational ordering of the Enlightenment era. By presenting war as a series of structured events, Schenk seems to suggest that conflict, however chaotic, is governed by underlying orders and codes. The meticulous detail serves not just to document but to frame the understanding of war within a system of signs and structures.