De begrafenisstoet van Frederik Hendrik (plaat nr. 23), 1647 1651

This print, Plate 23 from "The Funeral Procession of Frederik Hendrik" was created by Pieter Nolpe around 1647. It uses etching to organize a frieze-like composition, depicting a solemn procession of figures. The print's formal structure divides the composition into distinct groupings. These clusters of figures, each identified by inscription, stand as separate units within the larger scene. Nolpe uses a consistent visual language, with each figure rendered through careful, repetitive lines. The sameness in their form creates a sense of uniformity and rhythm across the image, disrupted only by the slight variations in posture. This calculated arrangement, combined with the absence of depth, flattens the image, emphasizing the symbolic over the naturalistic. It offers a space for the study of representation and the encoding of social rank and decorum in the 17th century. It invites us to examine the cultural codes at play in ceremonies of state and the ways in which prints served to formalize such events for posterity.