Spotprent op het Franse verlies in de slag bij Oudenaarde, 1708 1708

Carel Allard created this print in 1708 to lampoon the French defeat at the Battle of Oudenaarde. Its formal structure, divided into textual and visual components, mimics the format of a board game, cleverly blending political commentary with popular entertainment. Notice how Allard uses contrasting scales to emphasize the French disarray. The central scene shows dejected French officers around a game table, their downcast expressions contrasting with the detailed rendering of their attire. Below, a miniature scene depicts the hurried departure of the French war chest, using size to amplify their defeat. The print's semiotic system relies on established cultural codes: the game signifies strategy, the overturned carriage represents chaos. Allard thus uses formal devices to challenge fixed meanings of power and valor, transforming defeat into spectacle through the sharp lines and calculated composition of his print.