Moord op Floris V, 1296 1664 - 1699

This engraving, made by an anonymous artist, depicts the assassination of Floris V in 1296. Here we observe the symbolic representation of power and betrayal. Central is the act of murder itself, a motif that resonates across time from ancient Roman dramas to Renaissance paintings. Note the weapon, the sword, an age-old symbol of authority. The act of drawing it, as seen here, transforms it into an emblem of aggression and the disruption of social order. Consider how the image of a drawn sword recurs throughout history, signaling conflict and change. Think of Jacques-Louis David's "Oath of the Horatii," where swords represent civic duty, or even the more recent "Guernica" by Picasso, which echoes the horror of violence through distorted symbols. The assassination motif taps into our collective memory, reminding us that the lust for power and acts of betrayal are constantly recurring themes in the human drama. They are a visual echo chamber of moral, cultural, and psychological struggles that continue to resonate through history.