Gezicht op een waterbron, te Berlijn 1740 - 1774

This undated print depicts a water source in Berlin, made by an anonymous artist. Its formal qualities – the rigid perspective, the symmetrical arrangement of buildings – suggest an understanding of the city as a rational project. We see social life carefully structured around the well, where people come to take the waters. This points to the growth of Berlin as a major European city in the 18th century, its rise as a center of trade, government and enlightenment. The establishment of public institutions – like this well – are signs of the social and economic development of the city. To understand this print fully, we might ask: who had access to this space? What were the health concerns of Berliners at this time? And what was the role of civic institutions in promoting public health? Art history is not just about aesthetics, but about understanding art’s relationship to its social and institutional context.