Executies op bevel van Alva, ca. 1567 1618 - 1649

This print, "Executions on the Orders of Alva," made around 1567 by an anonymous artist, presents a stark scene of public executions through meticulous engraving. The composition is dominated by sharp, angular lines forming the gallows, weapons, and rigid figures, creating a sense of oppressive order and control. The artist uses a high vantage point to display a wide view of the city, filled with tightly packed spectators and imposing architecture. The interplay of light and shadow, achieved through dense hatching, intensifies the drama, focusing our attention on the executioner and the condemned. The print underscores the brutal assertion of power, emphasizing the formal structures of authority and the physical manifestations of dominance. The calculated arrangement of elements implicates viewers in a spectacle of control, challenging us to confront the underlying ideologies and values of the time.