Illustratie voor 'Den Arbeid van Mars' van Allain Manesson Mallet 1672

Editor: This engraving by Romeyn de Hooghe, made around 1672, is an illustration for Allain Manesson Mallet's 'Den Arbeid van Mars.' It depicts a star-shaped fortress. The sheer detail of the line work is impressive, but the symbolic structure hovering above the activity at the bottom of the image almost makes it seem like a dreamscape, not reality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm struck by how this image uses geometry—the star fortress itself—as a symbol of power and control. It's more than just a city plan. The star, across cultures, often embodies aspiration, guidance, or destiny. But here, it’s a militarized destiny, looming, as you observed, over the daily lives of soldiers and planners below. Editor: So the star isn’t just decorative? Curator: No, not at all. The "star fort," in reality, represents the dawn of modern warfare, but in this artistic rendering, we also find this recurring aspiration to find order and control during conflict. Notice the individuals are arranged to gaze and admire this ordered shape and construction, which presents the star not just as protection but as a potent symbol of command. Does that begin to shift your thinking? Editor: It does. I was so focused on the precision, that I almost missed the symbolism in that very exactness! So what kind of memory or aspiration is evoked in this case? Curator: Perhaps it’s the enduring cultural hope that reason, embodied by geometry, can ultimately triumph over chaos, which warfare so readily represents. Even now, we see these fortresses influencing modern design—airports, for instance—always seeking that balance of efficiency and protection. The artist makes the case that war can create order... though the question remains, is that true? Editor: This really makes you think about the image differently. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Curator: And thank you. Spotting those subtle recurrences is always a delightful way to learn.