The Behading of the Roman Judge Papinian, from Thronus Justitiae, tredecim pulcherrimus tabulis..., plate 5 1605 - 1606

Willem van Swanenburg created this print, "The Beheading of the Roman Judge Papinian," around the turn of the 17th century, using engraving on laid paper. The composition is starkly divided; the foreground is dominated by the sprawled body of Papinian, contrasted against the towering figures of his executioners. The figures are rendered with precise lines, but there is a textural contrast between the smooth skin of the executioner on the left and the rough fabric of the guards on the right. The architecture offers a frame that both contains and comments on the unfolding drama. Swanenburg uses linear perspective to draw our eye to the background scene, yet the brutal foreground insists on immediate, visceral engagement. This print destabilizes our understanding of justice, making us question the structures of power. It invites us to consider how power uses visual narratives to cement authority.