Lijkstatie van Willem IV, 1752, plaat 2 1752

Jan Punt created this print, “Lijkstatie van Willem IV, 1752”, in 1752. Notice how the frieze-like composition arranges a series of guards on horseback across the horizontal plane, creating a rhythmic progression. The linear quality, accentuated by the precise rendering of each figure and horse, gives the scene a sense of ordered procession. The use of color, though muted, distinguishes different groups within the cortege, from the brightly dressed musicians to the more somber guards. This variance is a semiotic code, where each color palette signifies rank and role within the ritual. Punctuation is achieved by the horses’ varying tones, as they interject a certain dynamism to the overall design. The print’s scale, modest in size, contrasts with the grand subject, perhaps to imply the universality of mortality even for those in positions of power. The regularity of the forms encourages the eye to move sequentially across the tableau, reinforcing the theme of order and ceremony. In this way, the artistic rendering of the procession, in all its formal arrangement, becomes a study in the performance of power and mourning.