Illustratie voor de Decamerone van Boccaccio 1697

Romeyn de Hooghe created this illustration for Boccaccio’s Decameron using etching, a printmaking technique known for its fine, precise lines. The composition of the image is bisected. In the foreground, a stark tableau of two prone figures commands immediate attention, their bodies rendered with meticulous detail to convey a sense of lifelessness. Behind them, a crowd of onlookers gestures dramatically, their expressions a mix of horror and outrage. De Hooghe's choice to emphasize line over tone creates a sense of starkness, heightening the emotional intensity of the scene. This print operates within a system of signs, drawing on familiar visual codes of morality and mortality to underscore the narrative's themes of transgression and retribution. De Hooghe masterfully uses the formal constraints of the etching medium to amplify the visual impact of the illustration. The starkness of the scene is a reminder of art's capacity to explore the darker aspects of human nature.