Gezicht op Douai 1617

This image is an anonymous rendering of Douai. It was made as a print. Douai, in Northern France, has always been a place of strategic importance for both trade and defence. The institutional history of Douai revolves around its fortifications. What’s striking is that the anonymous artist chose to focus on the fortifications in particular, showing a wide river in the foreground and the high walls protecting the city. The skyline is dominated by church spires, which speaks to the importance of religion in the city’s social structure. Douai also had a prominent university. Perhaps this print was made as a souvenir to be sold to visitors, or as part of a larger series of city views that played a role in shaping civic identity. We can learn more by looking at comparable prints, archival documents, and the history of printmaking as a business. Through historical research we can find out a lot about art's place in society.