Gezicht op Filakovo 1686

Gaspar Bouttats created this print called, ‘View of Filakovo’, using etching. Bouttats made this image amidst a period of significant political and cultural upheaval in Europe. While he traveled extensively, his work, including this piece, often reflected the socio-political landscapes of the regions depicted. Filakovo, now in Slovakia, had a history marked by Ottoman incursions and Habsburg rule, a cultural crossroads of sorts. In 'View of Filakovo', Bouttats offers a traditional landscape. What is missing? The ravages of war, the tensions of cultural exchange, and the implications of imperial power. Instead, we see an idealized version that tells us more about the expectations of the art market than the realities of early modern Europe.