Beleg en vergelijk van Chartres, 1568 c. 1567 - 1571

This is Frans Hogenberg's "Siege and Comparison of Chartres," an engraving from 1568. The composition is dominated by the use of a bird's-eye perspective, typical of military cartography, which flattens the siege into a series of simultaneous events. Lines are used to delineate the actions of the siege, contrasting sharply with the dense hatching that defines the town. This creates a visual tension between the order of the besieging forces and the chaos implied within the besieged town. Hogenberg employs a semiotic system of spatial arrangement, where the higher ground signifies control and the lower, the vulnerable. The visual structure supports a narrative of power, with the besiegers strategically placed to exert maximum force upon Chartres. The architectural elements are rendered as signs, their repetitive forms suggesting both the fortifications and the vulnerability of urban space under siege. Ultimately, the engraving’s formal organization—its sharp lines, elevated viewpoint, and spatial encoding—presents the siege not just as a military event but as a structured display of dominance and control.