Plattegrond van Grenoble, 1726 1726

Editor: Here we have a 1726 map of Grenoble, an anonymous work rendered in ink on paper, held at the Rijksmuseum. I’m immediately struck by how meticulously the city is laid out, a kind of formalized portrait. What’s the symbolic power held within such precisely drawn lines? Curator: This “portrait,” as you say, it isn't just about geography; it speaks to power. A map like this wasn't just for finding your way; it was a statement of control, a claim of ownership. The ink itself becomes a boundary, a symbolic fortress walling in territory. Think of the river, prominently depicted – not just a waterway, but a flowing border, a protector. What feelings are evoked by this sense of containment, by this almost architectural rigidity imposed on nature? Editor: It does feel rigid. Safe, maybe, but also constrained. I notice the distinct visual difference between the organized city and the implied wildness surrounding it. The very dark shaded mountainous area above Grenoble contrasts nicely with the lighter areas. Curator: Exactly! Consider the psychology of borders. Are they for keeping people in, or out? Both, perhaps, creating an "us" and "them." The symbolism goes even deeper, hinting at humanity's desire to tame nature, to impose order on chaos, with emotional echoes of security but also control. Where else might you observe symbols that hold emotional meaning for people, whether on a personal or collective level? Editor: That's a fascinating way to think about maps. I guess I had always just seen them as purely functional. But now, I see how much more they represent about power, control, and even fear. Curator: And ultimately, memory. The image holds an era, a mindset, preserved in ink. It holds traces of a community, who invested their emotional well-being within those lines. Editor: It’s been truly eye-opening to consider the many layers of meaning embedded within what I initially saw as just a historical document. Curator: Indeed, it shows the powerful potential of even a simple drawing, such as a map.