Aankomst en ontvangst van de paltsgraaf Frederik met zijn vrouw Elisabeth te Vlissingen (plaat 2), 1613 1618 - 1650

This engraving, titled "Arrival and Reception of Count Palatine Frederick with his Wife Elizabeth at Vlissingen (plate 2)", was made in 1613 by an anonymous artist. The composition is immediately striking, divided horizontally between the earthly and heavenly realms. Below, a busy scene unfolds: ships cut through a wavy sea towards a fortified city. The linear perspective draws our eye towards the horizon, yet the flatness of the engraving technique gives the image a map-like quality. Above, a cloud of angelic figures floats ethereally. This structure creates a symbolic interplay, contrasting the temporal, material world with the eternal and divine. The formal arrangement suggests a world ordered by both earthly and divine powers, reflecting the socio-political structures of the time. This engraving functions not merely as a record of an event but as a complex encoding of power, authority, and divine sanction.