Man die Gods naam lasterde wordt gestenigd 1720 - 1728

Abraham de Blois created this print, "Man die Gods naam lasterde wordt gestenigd," sometime between 1679 and 1717. The scene’s power lies in its stark composition, where a cluster of figures enact violence around a wooden structure, all rendered in precise, graphic lines. De Blois uses a high vantage point, which invites us to witness the stoning with a disturbing clarity. The composition is bisected by the stark verticality of the wooden frame. This creates a visual tension, framing the chaos while also seeming to judge it. The act of stoning is depicted with brutal realism – bodies contort, arms raise stones, and the victim lies prone, a jumble of limbs and suffering. This print functions as a semiotic text; the stones, the structure, and the act itself carry symbolic weight. It’s an exploration of power, law, and the brutal consequences of transgression. This piece unsettles us, probing the unstable foundations of religious authority.