Slag bij Seneffe, 1674 1779 - 1781

Curator: This engraving, rendered with delicate lines, captures a historical moment: "The Battle of Seneffe, 1674" by Simon Fokke, dating from around 1779-1781. Editor: It has such a swirling, dynamic energy for a monochrome print. My immediate impression is a clash of forms; trees neatly framing what erupts in chaos within. Curator: Indeed. The artist uses the rigid structure of the framing trees in contrast to the central tumult. Note how Fokke uses tight, parallel lines to give definition to figures. And he then applies open areas of mark-making to suggest plumes of smoke and bursts of motion. Editor: That smoke feels symbolic. Given the timeframe, war then had strong connections to national pride and the supposed divine rights of kings. It's telling that amidst this whirlwind, individuals, rendered as tiny figures, fade. Instead, Fokke draws our eye to grand movements of color that reflect both warfare's physical reality and its mythic grandeur. Curator: Absolutely. Fokke directs us to read a visual order within the disarray, a kind of compositional imperative, don't you agree? Consider the light reflecting on weaponry to bring one’s gaze to the battle itself! Editor: Oh yes. Flags are held high, as emblems of command, almost like classical motifs on shields; it makes you consider what each combatant thought they represented or stood to gain. Curator: Such a relatively small image, but through form, technique, and considered arrangement, it communicates the enormity of battle and the significance held within it. Editor: And by extension, how potent even diminutive symbols can be to rally human beings together or drive them to tear one another apart. Powerful piece.