Gezicht op de Orangerie en Cour de la Fontaine van paleis van Fontainebleau 1726 - 1743

This is Jan Lamsvelt’s “View of the Orangerie and Cour de la Fontaine of the Palace of Fontainebleau,” rendered with etching. The garden in the engraving strikes a symbolic pose: it embodies a striving for control over the natural world. Note the rigid symmetry and the calculated distribution of elements. These gardens are a clear effort to impose order and control onto nature, reflecting a broader cultural aspiration for rational governance. This pursuit of rational order recalls the Roman’s landscaping of their villas or even the walled gardens of the ancient Persians. Over time, we find this motif reappearing in various forms: from the gardens of Versailles to modern urban planning, the desire to control and organize our surroundings remains. The symmetry, though a demonstration of power and control, hints at a deeper psychological need for order. Through this structured landscape, the human spirit seeks to subdue the uncertainties of life, creating an environment that promises clarity and control.