Amiens door list veroverd, 1597 1597 - 1599

Editor: This is "Amiens door list veroverd, 1597" by Frans Hogenberg. It's a print in ink on paper. The stark contrast between the detailed city and the sweeping landscapes beyond makes it look almost like two separate worlds colliding. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: It’s powerful how Hogenberg positions us, the viewers, outside the walls, almost as if complicit in this act of conquest. The 'list veroverd'—the cunning capture—speaks to the tactics of power. Considering the late 16th century, with its religious wars and shifting alliances, how do you see this image reflecting broader socio-political tensions? Editor: It makes me think about who gets to define "victory" and what the cost is for the people living within those walls. Were cityscapes like this often used as propaganda? Curator: Absolutely. Maps were rarely neutral documents; they were tools for establishing dominion. This image presents a very European, very male gaze on urban space and warfare. Think about whose stories are being silenced by this "objective" rendering of conquest. What’s omitted from the picture that matters just as much? Editor: That's a really interesting point! Maybe the artist didn’t intend on presenting that perspective. It makes me wonder how differently someone from Amiens at the time would have seen it. Curator: Exactly! Art, even cartography, always exists within power structures. By acknowledging whose voices are absent, we gain a deeper understanding of the work's historical weight and how it speaks to ongoing power imbalances. Editor: I hadn’t really considered the human cost embedded in something as seemingly straightforward as a cityscape. It gives a lot to think about. Curator: Indeed. And questioning these perspectives is vital to challenge prevailing narratives. Art encourages dialogue and understanding!