Illustratie voor 'Den Arbeid van Mars' van Allain Manesson Mallet 1672

Editor: This engraving, "Illustration for 'Den Arbeid van Mars'," created around 1672 by Romeyn de Hooghe, presents what appears to be a geometric plan above a cityscape. The precision and starkness of the lines give it an almost unsettling formality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating how this image speaks to the cultural memory of defense and civic identity. The geometric figure, a nine-sided polygon labeled ‘Ennegone/Negenhoeck,’ is not merely abstract. It evokes the design of fortifications, particularly the bastions that were becoming increasingly common at this time. The cityscape below, 'Limbourg,' connects that abstract planning to a very real place. What do these visual symbols, the geometric shape and the city, suggest about the anxieties and aspirations of the Dutch Golden Age? Editor: I see the connection! The perfect geometry of the planned fortifications versus the actual, vulnerable city… It suggests a tension between order and reality, maybe? Curator: Exactly! The visual contrast tells us so much. The polygon, with its implied mathematical perfection, represents an aspiration for control and security. While the depiction of Limbourg reveals the messy, organic reality of a city subject to the ravages of time and potentially, war. Note how the radiating lines emphasize the center; might it be suggesting centralized power and control? Editor: That makes so much sense. The engraving becomes a commentary on the desire for control in an era defined by conflict. I had not picked up on that tension so quickly! Curator: Consider the intended audience as well. This was designed for a book about warfare. How does that change the impact of this piece? We read cultural values and desires differently, once we realize how symbols gain new strength across the centuries.