Gezicht op Golden Square in Soho Londen 1720 - 1731

Sutton Nicholls created this print of Golden Square in Soho, London, sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century. The artwork presents a bird's-eye view of the square, emphasizing its geometric layout and the surrounding architecture. The composition is structured around a central square garden, with buildings arranged symmetrically on either side. Nicholls uses line and perspective to create a sense of depth, guiding the viewer's eye through the urban landscape. The buildings are rendered with precise detail, highlighting their uniformity and orderly arrangement. This reflects the values of the time, with its emphasis on reason and control, mirroring the broader intellectual climate and the Enlightenment's ideals of order and rationality. The print’s formal qualities, with its emphasis on symmetry and geometric precision, serve not only as an aesthetic representation but also as a cultural statement about the nature of urban space and social organization. The urban design invites us to question the relationship between space, power, and representation within the burgeoning metropolis.