Jan van Schaffelaar springt van de toren, 1482 1776 - 1849

Johannes Christiaan Bendorp made this print, ‘Jan van Schaffelaar springt van de toren, 1482,’ using etching and engraving techniques. The linear quality of this image gives it an immediacy, like a news report from the late 18th-early 19th century. Look closely and you can see how the sharp lines are used to create areas of shadow, highlighting the drama of the scene. It depicts a siege from the late medieval period, but the medium speaks of a later moment, when printmaking had become a way of disseminating information widely. This reproductive method allowed Bendorp to share a heroic, albeit tragic, tale with a broad audience, in multiple impressions. The choice of printmaking also reflects a society increasingly shaped by mass production and distribution. Though seemingly distant from the subject matter, this print is deeply rooted in its own time, raising questions about how we remember and represent the past. It reminds us that images, like objects, carry their own historical weight.