Slag bij de Milvische brug (rechter blad) 1683

Pietro Aquila’s ‘Battle of the Milvian Bridge’, is an etching that presents a scene of conflict. The composition is structured in layers, drawing the eye from the foreground’s chaotic struggle to the distant, more ordered battle on the bridge and landscape. Aquila employs the graphic possibilities of etching to create texture. The lines vary from delicate and light to deep and assertive, shaping the dramatic intensity and emotional depth of the scene. Aquila uses a semiotic system of signs to interpret the cultural codes which may have informed the artwork's making. For example, the figures can be interpreted by posture and expression. The image challenges a fixed meaning by using a multi-layered approach and representing space and perception in new ways. The texture functions aesthetically to create a visual experience of depth and movement, and also serves as part of a larger cultural and philosophical discourse on power, faith, and the representation of history.