Coevorden door Maurits ontzet, 1594 1600 - 1610

This engraving by Bartholomeus Willemsz. Dolendo depicts the relief of Coevorden by Maurice of Nassau in 1594. See the rigid formations of soldiers, reduced to simple geometric shapes marching toward the city, against a landscape that appears to recede according to a different perspective. These formations evoke a sense of order, discipline, and inexorable force. Remember the phalanxes of antiquity, or later, the marching armies of the Napoleonic era! This imagery is reminiscent of ancient Roman battle formations, conveying a sense of martial power. Such imagery speaks to our collective psyche, stirring deep-seated feelings about war and conflict. Note how the artist uses vertical lines in the formation of the army. The vertical lines give the sense of strength, stability and order. Lines are the simplest and most essential element of art. Our memory recalls how verticality and the 'straight and narrow' relate to moral and spiritual life. Even today, the symbols of military might retain their power, evoking both fear and a sense of security, as these archetypes are continually reborn.