Gevangenneming van Egmond en Horne, 1567 1613 - 1615

This is an anonymous engraving from 1567, depicting 'Gevangenneming van Egmond en Horne'. The image is structured into three distinct spatial zones, each defined by its receding perspective. This technique compresses the depicted events, creating a spatial simultaneity where arrest, assembly, and external military presence converge. The artist uses line and composition to convey a sense of orchestrated power. Notice how the linear perspective directs our gaze from the capture in the foreground to the council in session. This formal device suggests a direct connection between the act of capture and the authority of the council. The arrangement of figures, the play of interior and exterior spaces, and the use of linear perspective are not merely representational; they function as semiotic markers. The engraving challenges fixed meanings by illustrating a moment of political upheaval, and prompting us to consider how power is constructed and maintained through symbolic actions and spatial arrangements.