Gedicht op het zwaard waarmee Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1619 zou zijn onthoofd Possibly 1744

This is a page from a book made in 1744 by Nikolaes Versteeg. The visual field is filled with dense, dark ink against the light parchment, creating a stark contrast that draws your eye immediately to the text. The script is in Dutch. The poem and signature showcase the flowing lines and curves characteristic of handwriting of that era. The arrangement of text on the page isn't strictly symmetrical. The column of text is justified to the left, but has a ragged right edge. The poem is a lament about the execution of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1619. The poem's structure echoes a common theme in Dutch Golden Age art—a meditation on morality and justice. The act of writing itself becomes a memorial, an attempt to preserve the memory of injustice through the permanence of the written word. This page embodies a semiotic charge, where the arrangement and style of writing contribute to a deeper cultural and philosophical discourse about memory, justice, and the power of the pen.