Parma belegert en verovert Oudenaarde, 1582 1613 - 1615

Curator: This engraving, dating from 1613 to 1615 and currently held at the Rijksmuseum, depicts the Siege and Conquest of Oudenaarde by Parma in 1582. It offers a fascinating glimpse into military strategy and urban life during that period. Editor: Oh, wow, I'm immediately struck by the almost overwhelming detail! It's like a bird's-eye view mixed with, you know, tiny ant people bustling about. I get a strangely calm yet strategic vibe from it. Does that make any sense? Curator: Absolutely. The print functions as both a map and a historical record. Analyzing it, we see power dynamics visualized—the external forces of Parma encircling and penetrating Oudenaarde's defenses. This illustrates the shifting geopolitical landscapes of the time and the violence enacted on civilian populations through warfare. The representation of the water and its manipulation reflects an ecological dimension of conflict too. Editor: Mmm, the ecological piece… I hadn't thought of that! The way everything's crammed in—little houses, wee people—it makes you think about how the personal gets swallowed up in grand events. It’s strangely poignant, right? All these tiny lives rearranged against their will. Makes you wonder what those little ant people were actually feeling. Curator: Precisely. The visual hierarchy is significant. Note the detached perspective, a characteristic of power visualizing its dominion. The engraving functions as propaganda, emphasizing Parma’s success. Looking through a lens of postcolonial theory, the act of mapping can itself be interrogated as an act of control and ownership over territory. The "Anonymous" authorship of the print further underscores the institutional, rather than individual, voice promoting the narrative. Editor: Wow. See, I'd probably have missed all that power-dynamic stuff if I was just wandering through on my own. It’s amazing how much deeper you can go with just a little bit of… prompting. Maybe that little Antwerp is more epic than it lets on... Curator: Indeed. "Parma Besieging and Capturing Oudenaarde, 1582" gives us both a very precise, period-specific history and offers ways of approaching representations of conflict today. It makes you think of how power presents and perpetuates itself across eras, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. This trip back in time actually has me rethinking how I look at conflicts today... and little cities! Thanks!