Plundering van het huis van een wijnkoper Gerrit Hagedooren te Rotterdam, 1751 1751

Here, we see Simon Fokke’s 1751 engraving, depicting the “Plundering of the house of a wine merchant in Rotterdam." The drama unfolds through a calculated composition of horizontals and verticals, energized by stark contrasts of light and shadow. Notice how Fokke uses the architectural lines of the buildings to create a stage-like space, framing the chaos below. The symmetry of the buildings is broken by the asymmetry of the crowd, a sea of individuals rendered with chaotic energy. The use of light, seemingly from torches and the moon, heightens the emotional pitch. This dramatic lighting not only illuminates the scene but also serves to obscure, concealing as much as it reveals. Consider, too, how Fokke's choice of engraving – with its precise lines and sharp details – ironically captures a moment of utter disorder. This tension between form and content is central to understanding the work. It questions the supposed stability of 18th-century Dutch society, exposing underlying fractures and turbulence.