Illustratie voor 'Den Arbeid van Mars' van Allain Manesson Mallet 1672

Romeyn de Hooghe made this illustration for 'Den Arbeid van Mars' using etching techniques. The work is divided into two distinct sections: the upper part, with geometric precision and an emphasis on lines and angles, and the lower, depicting a scene of military action. The formal structure reveals a tension between order and chaos, mirroring the dual nature of war itself – a strategic calculation juxtaposed with its brutal reality. Lines, as both structural elements and symbols of calculation, dominate the upper portion, suggesting a controlled, rational approach to conflict. But below, in the rendering of soldiers and fallen bodies, we see the chaotic outcome of such calculations. De Hooghe seems to ask us to consider the relationship between abstract planning and concrete consequences, a critique perhaps of the detached, mathematical mindset that can lead to violence.