Twee episodes uit de moord op de gebroeders De Witt, 1672 1672

Romeyn de Hooghe created this small, but striking, etching of "Twee episodes uit de moord op de gebroeders De Witt, 1672" in 1672. The scene is divided into two distinct registers, each densely populated and teeming with graphic violence. In the upper panel, we see the brothers De Witt surrounded by an angry mob. The composition is chaotic, with spears and flags creating a forest of vertical lines that traps the figures. Below, the lower register intensifies the horror, as the brothers' bodies are hung upside down and further desecrated. De Hooghe uses the stark contrast of light and shadow, a hallmark of etching, to amplify the emotional impact. The precise lines lend a sense of immediacy. The rigid structure of the composition, divided into two clear sections, creates a disturbing parallel between the initial frenzy and the subsequent brutal display. Ultimately, the image challenges notions of justice, suggesting the instability and vulnerability of political order.