Rivierlandschap met gezicht op Passau 1625 - 1677

Wenceslaus Hollar created this River Landscape with a View of Passau using etching. Hollar was born in Prague and spent much of his life displaced by the conflicts of the Thirty Years' War. This landscape depicts Passau, a city at the confluence of three rivers in Bavaria. During Hollar's lifetime, the city was a significant religious and political center. As you look at the detailed rendering of the city, consider the ways in which urban landscapes can represent power and identity. The high vantage point invites us to think about who has the privilege to survey and document a place, and whose stories are centered in its representation. Hollar's landscapes capture a sense of place and time. While they reflect the topographical accuracy valued at the time, they also invite us to consider how the act of viewing and representing landscapes shapes our understanding of history, culture, and power.