London before the Great Fire 1666 - 1677

Wenceslaus Hollar created this etching, "London before the Great Fire," with precise lines to map out the city. The composition divides the space into a detailed network of streets and buildings, densely packed together. Hollar uses a bird's-eye view to flatten the urban landscape, emphasizing the city's structure as an organized, almost geometric, pattern. The texture is achieved through fine, intricate lines that define each structure. Maps are not just geographical tools but also representations of power and knowledge. Hollar's etching presents London as a structured and knowable entity, reflecting the 17th-century's desire to categorize and understand the world. The use of linear perspective, albeit flattened, and the detailed rendering of buildings, invite the viewer to navigate and survey the city visually. This creates a sense of control and comprehension, turning the chaos of urban life into an ordered image. In essence, Hollar transforms London into a semiotic system, where each line and shape conveys information. This pre-dates the city's transformation and subsequent rebuilding after the fire.