Gezicht op de kerk van het dorp Mogneville 1652

Israel Silvestre made this print, titled "View of the Church of the Village of Mogneville, near Liancourt," sometime in the mid-17th century. Silvestre was part of a generation of artists who documented sites across France during a time of relative peace and growth. However, this was also a period of deep religious conflict. The Catholic Church was central to society, yet Protestantism was spreading, leading to tensions and wars. This print captures the imposing presence of the church in the village, a symbol of spiritual and social control. Notice the geometric garden in the foreground, a space of order and display. The people here, rendered so small against the architecture, are dwarfed by the structures of power. Silvestre's delicate lines reveal a world where religion, class, and identity were deeply interwoven. It invites us to consider how these landscapes shaped the lives and beliefs of those who inhabited them.