Gezicht op het kasteel van Landenne 1738 - 1744

Editor: Here we have an engraving from between 1738 and 1744, titled "Gezicht op het kasteel van Landenne" or "View of Landenne Castle". It’s Anonymous and done in ink on paper. I find the scene meticulously rendered yet strangely static. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: I am immediately drawn to how this print exemplifies the Baroque period’s fascination with power, not only of monarchy but localized expressions of power. Consider the incredibly ordered gardens. It reflects a desire to control and impose order onto nature itself, mirroring how those in power sought to organize society. What do you make of the perspective? Editor: It’s… flat. Almost like a map. Everything’s presented at once. Curator: Exactly! And it begs the question: who is this perspective for? Not the common villager, but someone with authority looking down on the domain. These idealized representations often omitted realities of rural life, romanticizing control, wealth and class structures. How does this awareness change your understanding of what you’re viewing? Editor: It makes me see past the pretty picture. It becomes a statement of control and exclusion, intentionally shaping a specific narrative. I had not considered the viewpoint of someone who owned the castle, only thought of it as aesthetically pleasing, in the sense of balance, symmetry and geometrical layout, or as a sort of travel ad to impress future visitors. Curator: Precisely. By questioning the 'gaze' of the artwork, we can start unraveling those intricate layers of power and propaganda woven into the image itself. Editor: Thanks to that insight, the work seems more historically anchored. Now the art feels more alive to me, a social document instead of only a still scene from the past.