Toeschouwers bij het vertrek van het Spaanse garnizoen uit Gennep 1641

This etching by Pieter Nolpe, made around 1641, captures the departure of the Spanish garrison from Gennep. The composition is structured around a receding perspective that guides the eye from the foreground figures towards the distant horizon. The stark contrast between the detailed rendering of the foreground and the more schematic treatment of the background creates a visual hierarchy. Linear precision defines the characters’ garments in the foreground, as they stand as witnesses, in contrast to the scattered groups of soldiers in the background. The etching’s formal qualities—the strategic use of line, the manipulation of scale, and the stark contrast between foreground and background, not only depict a historical event but also invite us to consider themes of power and spectatorship. Nolpe uses formal construction to create a narrative that goes beyond mere documentation.