Palazzo dell'Acquedotto De Ferrari Galliera 1622

Nicolaes Ryckmans created this rendering of the Palazzo dell'Acquedotto De Ferrari Galliera sometime in the 17th century. Architectural renderings like this, while seemingly neutral, are deeply embedded in cultural values and power dynamics. Consider the aqueduct itself. It was an engineering marvel but also a symbol of Roman power and ingenuity. By showcasing such structures, artists like Ryckmans were participating in a visual language that reinforced certain ideals about progress, order, and control over nature. At this time the Dutch Republic was asserting its dominance on the seas and establishing trade routes. Ask yourself: Who benefits from this vision of order? Whose stories are centered, and whose are marginalized or erased in this representation? What emotions does this evoke in you? Does the regularity and symmetry suggest a sense of stability, or does it feel rigid and impersonal?