Stamboom van het Habsburgse huis, blad zestien 1533 - 1535

This is the sixteenth leaf from 'Stamboom van het Habsburgse huis' by Robert Péril. The black ink on paper gives a stark, almost architectural feel to the family tree. The composition here is rigidly structured, almost like a formal garden. Portraits framed in circles and text blocks create a grid-like pattern, mirroring the Habsburgs' desire for order and control. Look closely, though, and you'll see the vines creeping around the borders, disrupting this rigid structure with organic growth. Péril uses these natural elements to suggest a sense of continuity and the passage of time, softening the otherwise formal presentation. The use of line in this print is particularly striking. Fine, detailed hatching creates depth and texture, while bold outlines define the portraits and text. It’s as if Péril is playing with different levels of reality: the idealized portraits versus the dense, factual text. This tension between form and content reveals how the Habsburgs used visual representation to construct and reinforce their power.