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

Curator: I see geometry! A fortress meticulously planned, walls jutting out, star-shaped outposts… almost like a dance of defence. Editor: Indeed. What we are looking at is an engraving titled "Illustration for 'The Labour of Mars'" by Romeyn de Hooghe, dating back to 1672. Curator: Mars…the god of war, right? The placement feels very intentional. What strikes me first is the city depiction floating above the defensive structure, like a dream hanging over the harsh realities of military planning. Editor: The duality is striking. It gives us insight into the cultural memory of that era, and what the labor of Mars entailed. This print originally appeared in Allain Manesson Mallet's treatise on military engineering. See how he represents the cityscape almost as a vignette, carefully bordered and displayed. The walled star-shaped fortresses below represent the more immediate concerns of defense. Curator: Right, it’s not just about brute force; it's about strategically mapping the city and anticipating invasion or a siege. Are the shapes around the main fortress the positions of smaller, almost satellite forts to protect main fortification? Editor: Precisely. Each point is calculated to provide interlocking fields of fire. There is such strategic intent and symbolic resonance of the line work. You almost imagine a ritual. This ordered geometry in the face of chaotic and bloody conflict. It tells such a complex story about the psychology of power and defence. Curator: Yes! There's something deeply unsettling about this calculated, geometric response to something so visceral as war. Look at those lines reaching outward! The print, despite being two-dimensional, feels like an aggressive network of influence extending over a landscape, shaping not only physical space but also…power? It’s beautiful and horrifying at the same time. I hadn’t realised the print medium could carry such a message. Editor: And to think this meticulous image served as instruction, not art! It's the transformation of mundane intent that truly holds power for me, a silent witness now holding different values over time. Curator: A poignant and potent artefact! Thanks for showing me this, such hidden depths that can emerge in the right context. Editor: My pleasure!