De begrafenisstoet van Frederik Hendrik, plaat nr. 24 1651

Pieter Nolpe's etching, "The Funeral Procession of Frederik Hendrik, Plate 24," presents a stark, yet compelling, study in form and structure. Executed with meticulous line work, the procession is dominated by figures uniformly cloaked in black, offering a somber palette against the muted background. The composition draws the eye across a horizontal plane, emphasizing the repetitive, almost regimented, nature of the figures. Each is delineated with precision, yet unified, creating a visual rhythm. Nolpe disrupts any sense of celebratory grandeur, instead focusing on the inherent structure of the collective. The black attire reduces each figure to a study in shape and outline, destabilizing notions of individual prominence. The uniformity of attire challenges established hierarchies, prompting reflection on the leveling effect of death. The print thus functions not merely as a record, but as a complex interplay of form and symbolic representation.