Onderschrift van de Festa della Sensa (derde gedeelte) 1697

This is the third section of a script ‘Onderschrift van de Festa della Sensa’ by Jost Amman, created in the late sixteenth century using woodcut techniques. The initial experience is of dense, tightly packed text, creating a uniform texture across the surface. This density is almost overwhelming, as the lines of text merge to form a visual block. The absence of images places full emphasis on the structure of the text itself. The texture and materiality of the print, created through the woodcut technique, gives a sense of historical depth. The layout reflects early printing conventions, focused on functionality and dissemination rather than visual aesthetics. This echoes the structuralist idea that art can be viewed as a system, where the arrangement and presentation of text communicate meaning beyond the literal content. The rigid, orderly rows suggest a desire for control and the imposition of structure onto the narrative. Ultimately, this artwork invites us to consider how form and structure influence our reading and understanding, emphasizing the artwork's role in preserving and conveying historical and cultural information.