Horizontal Panel with a Row of Flowers Above a Frieze with a Hunting Scene in a Landscape, from Livre Nouveau de Fleurs Tres-Util 1645

Nicolas Cochin created this horizontal panel with a row of flowers above a frieze with a hunting scene, a print made with engraving. The composition is divided horizontally, offering a stark contrast between the botanical study above and the dynamic scene below. The use of line is particularly striking, creating texture and depth, defining the contours of the tulips and the landscape. The division of space invites a semiotic interpretation. Above, the formal arrangement of flowers, rendered with scientific precision, evokes a sense of order and taxonomy. This contrasts with the chaotic energy of the hunting scene below, where figures on horseback pursue their prey. The print can be viewed as a reflection on the interplay between nature and culture, and also the wild and the cultivated. Consider how the linear precision emphasizes the artificiality of both scenes, suggesting a commentary on the human desire to classify and control the natural world. The artwork, therefore, destabilizes the binary between nature and artifice, instead presenting both as constructed realities.