Gezicht op Rouen 1643 - 1666

This is an anonymous print of 'Gezicht op Rouen' held in the Rijksmuseum. The composition is neatly divided into horizontal bands: sky, cityscape, and text panels, each contributing to the overall structured effect. Formally, the symmetry is notable. Coats of arms frame a central banner with the city's name, mirroring the textual blocks below. The cityscape itself, while detailed, is rendered with a flattening effect, emphasizing pattern over depth. The coloring is restrained, yet the pinks and yellows provide a decorative border that contains the image and text within. The print’s structure suggests a desire for order and clarity, typical of cartographic and urban representations of the period. These formalized elements of design speak to the period's concerns with organizing, understanding, and codifying geographical and cultural information. The overall effect is one of controlled, categorized knowledge—a visual assertion of understanding and power over the depicted space.