Verhaal met voorstellingen van moord en doodstraf (F. 325.) 1667

Abraham Dircksz. Santvoort created this print depicting scenes of murder and capital punishment in the 17th century. Notice how the artist presents a sequence of violent acts, each framed like a stage in a grim morality play. Consider the repeated motif of the raised hand holding a weapon, a symbol of human aggression present since antiquity. We see it in ancient battle scenes, classical tragedies, and now here, in Santvoort’s chilling depiction of early modern justice. The evolution of this gesture reveals a troubling continuity in human behavior. Think of how similar gestures are also found in religious art depicting sacrifice or martyrdom. The emotional power of these images lies in their ability to evoke a primal fear, a collective memory of violence. It shows us that these scenes of violence are not just isolated incidents, but rather symptoms of something deeply embedded in the human psyche. The artist has tapped into a powerful psychological force that continues to resonate.