Nachtelijke tocht van de Spaanse soldaten naar Duiveland, 1575 1670 - 1699

Romeyn de Hooghe created this print, "Night Crossing of Spanish Soldiers to Duiveland, 1575," sometime between 1645 and 1708 using etching. The composition is dominated by a chaotic scene of soldiers wading through water, ships at sea, and distant explosions, all rendered in intricate detail using only line. De Hooghe uses the etching technique to build up dense areas of hatching and cross-hatching, particularly in the water and the smoke, to convey depth and turmoil. Linear perspective directs our gaze towards the horizon, where the drama unfolds. The precision of the lines gives a sense of immediacy, while the overall structure directs our reading of the event, as if meticulously documenting a contemporary news event, yet its formal construction conveys an underlying message. The formal complexity, combined with the historical context, creates a tension between objective representation and symbolic interpretation. The etching thus functions as both a historical record and a carefully constructed narrative, offering a structured framework for interpreting the complexities of the depicted event.