Landschap met rivier en stad 1743

Davide Antonio Fossati created this landscape with river and town using etching techniques sometime in the 18th century. Fossati's landscapes invite us to consider the changing roles of nature and society, particularly how people interact with their environment. The figures in the foreground seem to be going about their daily lives, while the imposing architectural structures that dominate the composition remind us of the lasting legacies of power and civilization. We might think about how landscape imagery was used in the 1700s to reinforce social hierarchies. Does this artwork suggest a subtle commentary on the relationship between humanity and nature, or the balance between individual freedom and societal order? What does this landscape tell us about how eighteenth century artists viewed their society?