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

This is an illustration by Romeyn de Hooghe for Allain Manesson Mallet’s ‘Den Arbeid van Mars’. De Hooghe created this work during the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by significant economic prosperity, artistic innovation, and colonial expansion. The print illustrates the architecture for war and the taking of land. It reflects the period’s obsession with military strategy, but more broadly it raises questions about land ownership and the human cost of territorial ambition. The technical drawing at the top of the image contrasts with the landscape below, highlighting the tension between abstract plans and the physical reality of the terrain. What does it mean to map, to plan, and to execute the control of space? This image embodies the paradox of progress, where advancements in science and technology are intertwined with the darker aspects of human nature. De Hooghe invites us to contemplate the complex relationship between knowledge, power, and the ethical implications of our actions.