1672
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Afbeelding en waarachtigh Verhaal... (Representation of the True Story of Johan de Witt...) is a 1672 ink by Romeyn de Hooghe, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image is a crowded, chaotic scene packed with tiny figures and text. On the left, a group of people surrounds a man on the ground, while buildings and a bridge stretch across the background. The right side shows a courtroom with judges, lawyers, and a prisoner at the center. Words in Dutch and French fill the space, like a newspaper report mixed into the scene. The artist used sharp lines and shading to create a sense of urgency and detail. The mix of action and text suggests this isn’t just a picture—it’s a story told through both images and words. Next, look up etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how these techniques make prints so dramatic.
Romeyn de Hooghe (bapt. 10 September 1645 – 10 June 1708) was a late Dutch Baroque painter, sculptor, engraver and caricaturist.
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