Andromeda geketend aan een rots 1696

Hendrick van Beaumont rendered this image of Andromeda chained to a rock with pencil and watercolour. The ochre ground emphasizes the subject's vulnerability, while the crude, dark hatching of the rock suggests a cold, desolate setting. Note how the artist uses line and contour to define Andromeda’s figure. The thin, restrained lines give her form a delicate, almost fragile appearance. The formal structure of the composition, with the figure centrally placed, underscores the themes of isolation and helplessness. The narrative element is secondary to Beaumont's formal exploration, where the structural arrangement and subdued palette work together to evoke a mood of quiet despair. This tension between classical subject matter and the artist's formal choices invites us to question fixed meanings. Beaumont destabilizes traditional heroic depictions by presenting a vulnerable Andromeda, challenging conventional representations of power and beauty. This artwork functions as a site for interpreting the visual elements and cultural codes that reflect broader artistic and philosophical concerns.