Beleg en inname van Wesel door Spinola, 1614 1614

This anonymous print from 1614 at the Rijksmuseum illustrates the siege and capture of Wesel by Spinola. The composition is dominated by a bird's-eye view, sharply contrasting the detailed fortification layout of the city with the open, sparsely marked surrounding landscape. Notice how the precise lines and geometric forms used to depict military positions and urban structures offer a sense of calculated strategy and order. This is juxtaposed with more organic shapes of fields and trees that suggest the natural world, almost as if to highlight a struggle between nature and human will. The stark contrast in textures, from the rough, etched lines of the fields to the intricate detailing of the city's architecture, functions not only aesthetically, but also to underline the power dynamics at play. This cartographic representation engages with contemporary debates about space, control, and the visualization of power, reflecting the era’s complex negotiations of territory and authority.