Gezicht op het Potsdamer Stadtschloss 1675 - 1711

This is an undated engraving titled "Gezicht op het Potsdamer Stadtschloss", or "View of the Potsdam City Palace" by an anonymous artist. Imagine the world in which this image was created. European society was rigidly hierarchical, with power and status concentrated in the hands of the aristocracy. This is a world in which the concept of inherited privilege was seen as natural and just. What does this image tell us about the artist’s, or patron’s, relationship to this hierarchy? This image isn't just a neutral record of a building; it's a declaration of power, an assertion of dominance, and a celebration of wealth. The palace, presented as a symbol of authority, embodies the social and economic inequalities of the time. What do you think about the figures in the foreground of the image? Are they spectators or participants in the theater of power?