London from Arundel House (copy) 1643 - 1750

Wenceslaus Hollar's etching, London from Arundel House, presents a cityscape rendered through meticulously etched lines. The composition is structured around a distinct foreground, featuring figures atop a fortified wall, leading the eye towards a panoramic view of London. The artist employs a stark contrast between light and shadow, achieved through dense cross-hatching, especially noticeable in the sky, which gives a dramatic, almost ominous feel. The structure of the city itself is conveyed through a network of fine lines that build up the architectural forms, like the imposing St. Paul's Cathedral, an anchor in the urban landscape. The use of linear perspective is evident, drawing us deeper into the scene, yet Hollar's style leans more towards documentation than illusion. What Hollar achieves here is not just a visual record, but an encoding of space and power, where even in the details, the city's structural organization mirrors the societal structures of its time. The etching's formal qualities thus serve not only as aesthetic devices but as cultural signs.