Het ontdekken, wegslepen en weer ophangen van de lichaamsdelen van Slatius, Coorenwinder en Gerrits, 1623 1623

Claes Jansz. Visscher created this 1623 engraving, now held at the Rijksmuseum, using a stark monochromatic palette. The narrative unfolds in a series of vignettes framed by decorative borders, giving it a comic strip-like quality. The composition is meticulously structured, directing our eyes sequentially through the depicted scenes. The artist employs a semiotic language, using the arrangement and gestures of figures to convey the story of Slatius, Coorenwinder, and Gerrits, their bodies becoming signs within the larger tableau. The scenes oscillate between discovery, dragging, and re-hanging of body parts. This challenges conventional values and expectations for representing the human body. The rigid structure and linear progression emphasize the relentless, almost mechanical nature of the events, inviting us to decode the cultural and philosophical discourses embedded within this historical moment. The engraving operates as a site for ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation, urging a continual reassessment of historical and artistic meanings.