Mulier Primaria Antuerpiensis, in Ornatu Domestico 

This is Wenceslaus Hollar's "Mulier Primaria Antuerpiensis, in Ornatu Domestico", a print made around 1646. The texture immediately strikes the eye. The dense, almost frenetic, hatching and cross-hatching create a rich, tactile surface across the figure. The interplay of light and shadow gives volume to the woman’s attire, from the extravagant hat to the layered skirts. Hollar's formal approach, characterized by precise lines and attention to detail, reflects broader artistic and philosophical concerns of the time. The print can be examined through a semiotic lens, as the elaborate clothing and accessories may function as signs denoting status and cultural identity. Note how the artist destabilizes established meanings by presenting an image of domesticity, yet imbuing it with a sense of formality and grandeur. This reflects a period of shifting social values. As such, this artwork presents us not with a singular truth but with a site of ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.