Jongeren spelen een spel in een park c. 1737

Nicolas de Larmessin the Third created this print of youths playing a game in a park with engraving techniques. The composition is structured by contrasts between dark and light, with densely engraved areas defining the foliage and architectural details. These contrasts lead our eye across the scene and create depth. The careful arrangement of figures, frozen in moments of playful interaction, suggests an underlying semiotic structure. Each gesture, each glance, functions as a sign within a codified system of social exchange. This could reflect the societal values of the 18th century, where even leisure was governed by rules and expectations. Look closely at the interplay between the natural and the artificial; the wildness of the trees against the sculpted urn. This tension mirrors a broader philosophical debate of the era, questioning humanity's relationship with nature and the imposition of order on the organic.