Onthoofding van Nicolas Gosson te Atrecht, 1578 1785 - 1787

Jacobus Buys made this drawing, ‘Decapitation of Nicolas Gosson in Arras, 1578’, using pen and gray ink, accented with gray wash. The stark contrast between the shadowed scene and the bright torchlight creates a dramatic spectacle. Our attention is immediately drawn to the executioner, sword raised, and the kneeling figure of Gosson, blindfolded and awaiting his fate. Buys uses vertical lines, most notably in the architecture and weaponry, juxtaposed against the horizontal plane of the execution stage, to create a rigid structure, almost a cage, symbolizing the confinement and inescapability of Gosson’s situation. The architectural backdrop, rendered with precise lines and geometric forms, dwarfs the human figures. This emphasizes the power of the state over the individual. Consider how the artist challenges traditional notions of heroism. Instead of glorifying power, Buys uses the scene's structure to underscore the brutal, impersonal nature of state-sanctioned violence. The drawing invites us to reflect on the fragility of human life amidst the cold, unyielding machinery of authority.