Map of Puteoli 1641

Curator: This is Giacomo Lauro's "Map of Puteoli," a print housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It captures the gardens with incredible detail. Editor: It feels like a dreamscape, almost fantastical. All those meticulously rendered trees and buildings packed together evoke a sense of abundance and control. Curator: Mapping often conveys power. Looking closer, the formal gardens contrast with the more wild, wooded areas. This juxtaposition was a common symbolic language of the time. Editor: I see the tension between imposing order and embracing nature, certainly. But who exactly did this space serve, and what labor was required to maintain such artifice? Curator: Early maps sometimes served less as guides for travelers and more as symbols of ownership and authority. The walled garden represents a space set apart, a retreat. Editor: True, but a retreat built upon unequal access. It's crucial to acknowledge the unseen labor that allowed for such leisure and aesthetic pursuits. Curator: Absolutely, seeing beyond the surface invites a more complete understanding. Editor: Precisely, reflecting on who is included—and excluded—deepens our appreciation.