Gezicht op de stad Lissabon 1657

This is an anonymous rendering of Lisbon, presented as a meticulously detailed city view. The composition is structured around a high vantage point, offering a comprehensive look at Lisbon's urban layout and geographical setting. The artist uses a grid-like structure to represent the city’s buildings and streets, contrasted by organic forms of the surrounding hills and bodies of water. Colors are applied selectively, with muted tones defining the built environment and brighter hues highlighting key landmarks. This juxtaposition creates a visual hierarchy, drawing the eye to areas of significance. The work reveals a formal approach to urban representation, where the city is viewed as a structured entity, open to rational understanding and control. Yet, this representation also reflects a deeper engagement with the semiotics of space, where urban elements function as signs within a larger cultural and political discourse. Notice how the structural clarity of the map invites us to decode the layers of meaning embedded within the urban landscape, reflecting the evolving nature of our understanding of space, power, and representation.