Graaf Floris (V?) 1517 - 1530

This small woodcut, titled "Graaf Floris (V?)" currently residing in the Rijksmuseum, presents a stark, linear scene. The composition is dominated by horizontal lines, from the rigid bed frame to the parallel strokes indicating texture. This horizontality creates a sense of stillness, disrupted only by the diagonal thrust of the body and the vertical lines of the surrounding architecture. The anonymous artist uses line not just to delineate form, but also to convey mood and meaning. The coarse hatching suggests a somber atmosphere, appropriate for the depiction of a deceased figure. The linear style is reminiscent of early printmaking, where clarity and reproducibility were prioritized. The limited tonal range further emphasizes the starkness of the scene, highlighting the geometric simplification of forms. By reducing the figure and setting to a network of lines, the artist invites us to contemplate the underlying structure of representation and the symbolic weight of linear abstraction. How do the artist's choices in the composition and line work evoke both loss and stoic acceptance?