Kaart van het nieuwe kanaal van Pontgouin naar Versailles, ca. 1693-1696 1693 - 1696

Editor: Here we have an anonymous print, dating back to somewhere between 1693 and 1696. It’s entitled "Kaart van het nieuwe kanaal van Pontgouin naar Versailles," and is made of ink on paper. It's intriguing how a functional map can also be such an aesthetically ornate piece. What formal elements stand out to you the most? Curator: Note how the composition eschews conventional cartographic sobriety. Observe the interplay between linear precision in delineating the canal's course and the whimsical allegorical vignettes flanking either end. How does the chromatic range, dominated by tertiary hues, contribute to or undermine spatial legibility? Editor: That’s an interesting way of putting it. I hadn’t considered how the color works with the legibility. So, are you suggesting the formal elements might be in conflict? Curator: Conflict may be too strong a term. Perhaps a productive tension. The eye is simultaneously invited to trace the canal's trajectory, guided by thin, dark lines, and to become distracted by the allegorical embellishments. Do these vignettes offer visual cues, symbolic anchors perhaps, for understanding the canal's significance? Editor: I guess they do give you pause, a break in the map, to contemplate a deeper meaning behind the construction project. I was so caught up in the colours and line work I forgot about the pictures. Curator: Precisely. One must also consider the intentionality behind the execution. Are the seemingly "decorative" components of equal status to the purely representational, or do they serve to reframe it somehow? It is a testament to art historical methods that by looking carefully we can gain understanding about both design and function. Editor: That's a helpful way of viewing this. Thanks! I'll certainly be paying closer attention to the interplay of functionality and artistry in maps going forward.