Kasteel Westerlo veroverd door Mansfeld, 1583 1613 - 1615

This engraving, titled "Kasteel Westerlo veroverd door Mansfeld, 1583," presents a bird's-eye view of the siege. Through the formal rendering of space, we can decode both the military strategy and its ideological underpinnings. The composition is divided into distinct zones: the castle, the attacking forces, and the distant landscape. This spatial articulation isn't just descriptive; it's a strategic visualization of power. The architectural precision used to depict the castle contrasts sharply with the more generalized rendering of the attacking soldiers, creating a visual hierarchy that emphasizes the military's structured might. The lines carve out the castle's form and also delineate the movement of troops, almost like a choreographed display of force. This calculated arrangement destabilizes any romantic view of warfare. Instead, the work functions as a calculated display, transforming the chaos of battle into a set of ordered signs.