Inname van Nijmegen door Maurits, 1591 1591 - 1593

Frans Hogenberg’s engraving, "Inname van Nijmegen door Maurits, 1591" presents a bird's-eye view of Nijmegen during its capture, rendered with meticulous detail. The composition is dominated by the city's concentric layout, bisected by the river. Note how Hogenberg uses linear perspective to flatten the urban space, emphasizing the grid-like arrangement of streets and buildings within the fortress walls. The engraving serves as a visual record, but also engages with broader themes of power and spatial control. The rigid structure of the city, juxtaposed with the dynamic movement of the besieging forces, highlights the tension between order and chaos, containment and expansion. The dense network of lines creates a sense of enclosure, while the attacking army introduces a disruptive element, challenging the city's established boundaries. Consider how the formal elements of line and perspective function here. The lines delineate space and power dynamics, reflecting a society grappling with territorial ambition and the imposition of control. The artwork invites us to reflect on how cartographic representation is not merely descriptive, but an assertion of human agency.