Verraad van Ladron, 1570 1570

This is Frans Hogenberg's 1570 engraving, "Verraad van Ladron," now at the Rijksmuseum, capturing a scene from the Eighty Years' War. Notice the stark gallows erected prominently in the foreground. These are not merely instruments of death; they are symbols of public justice, or, perhaps more accurately, of power and retribution. Consider how such a symbol resonates across epochs. The gallows, a crude structure, evokes images of ancient crucifixions. Like the cross, which transformed from a symbol of Roman oppression into a sacred emblem, the gallows, too, carries a heavy weight of cultural memory. The act of public execution is a spectacle, designed to instill fear and obedience. Here, in Hogenberg’s depiction, it also serves to rally support for the cause, embedding the emotional impact of the event in the collective psyche. The cyclical resurgence of such symbols underscores our primal engagement with justice, punishment, and the theater of power.