Twee friezen boven elkaar, in het bovenste fires knielen drie mannen 1567

This engraving, "Two friezes above each other, in the upper frieze three men kneel" was created by Pieter van der Heyden around the mid-16th century. The composition immediately presents a structured duality, divided horizontally into two distinct registers, each teeming with figures and ornamental motifs. The upper register features kneeling figures interspersed with grotesque masks and vegetal elements, evoking a sense of pagan ritual or mythological narrative. Below, the register employs a more classical vocabulary, with standing figures and elaborate shell-like structures. Van der Heyden uses the texture of the engraving lines to create volume, form and a sense of depth. This deliberate juxtaposition of classical and grotesque elements prompts a deeper consideration of the artwork's semiotic structure. It destabilizes established meanings, challenging the viewer to reconcile the ordered and the chaotic. The frieze becomes a site of visual and intellectual negotiation.