De terugkeer van Jakob in Kanaän before 1601

This is Cornelis Cort's "The Return of Jacob to Canaan", an engraving with a height of 132 mm and a width of 224 mm. The visual field is dominated by a procession of figures mounted on animals, an image teeming with the texture of fur, fabric and foliage. The monochrome palette invites a focus on the formal structure, most notably the composition and arrangement of figures within the constrained semi-circular space. Cort manipulates perspective to create an immersive scene. The semi-circular format, combined with the receding figures, creates a sense of depth, pulling the viewer into the biblical narrative. The engraver’s use of line is particularly striking. Hatching and cross-hatching are deployed to create tonal variations, defining the contours of the figures and animals and lending them a sculptural quality. The semiotic system here relies on established visual codes, where the act of returning signifies not just a physical journey but also a spiritual and cultural reclamation. Cort subtly destabilizes the notion of a singular return, suggesting that identity is continuously negotiated through movement and interaction. Cort's structured, formal approach presents a sophisticated meditation on the themes of return and transformation. It invites us to consider how these elements contribute to a more profound understanding of narrative and identity.