Apollo en Diana doden de kinderen van Niobe 1706 - 1768

François Morellon La Cave created this intricate artwork, "Apollo en Diana doden de kinderen van Niobe", using etching techniques. The composition immediately strikes us with its hierarchical arrangement. Divine figures preside at the top, overseeing a scene of chaos and death below, all framed within a decorative border. This layering creates a sense of distance, as though we are viewing a stage set. The use of line is particularly notable. La Cave masterfully employs hatching and cross-hatching to build form and volume. Notice how this technique not only models the figures but also contributes to the emotional intensity of the scene, creating a dense, almost suffocating atmosphere. This density serves to heighten the tragedy unfolding. The ordered structure in contrast with the emotive subject matter destabilizes traditional notions of beauty and morality. It challenges us to question the aestheticization of violence and the role of art in representing human suffering.