Gezicht op Gmunden en de Traunsee, gezien vanaf de Weinberg 1862 - 1880

This photograph, by Baldi & Würthle, captures Gmunden and the Traunsee as seen from the Weinberg. Note how the village lies nestled between the lake and the mountains, with a central church spire rising above the buildings. The town, viewed from above, evokes the 'bird's-eye view' motif found across centuries. From ancient maps to Renaissance cityscapes, this vantage point serves not only to document but also to claim a kind of mastery over the landscape. Think of the tapestry in Bayeux depicting the Norman conquest of England, where a high perspective allows the viewer to grasp the scale and strategic layout of battles. Such visual strategies subtly reflect how we, as viewers, are invited to survey and comprehend the world around us. The impulse to map, to view from above, is a recurring theme in human attempts to understand and control our environment, resonating through time in various artistic forms.