Muurindeling met Korintische pilasters 1629 - 1703

Jean Marot created this print of a 'Muurindeling met Korintische pilasters' or Wall Arrangement with Corinthian Pilasters sometime in the 17th century. Marot was a French architect and printmaker, and he was known for his detailed engravings of buildings and interior designs, like this one. This print reflects the prevailing aristocratic tastes of the era. It captures the formal and opulent aesthetic that characterized the spaces inhabited by the elite. Consider, too, how class is demonstrated here, by the sheer scale of the implied interior and the labor required to build it. Note the statues of female figures in niches. They are presented as objects within this space, silent and subservient. Yet there is a tension here, as these figures also borrow the visual vocabulary of powerful goddesses and mythological figures. They straddle a line between decoration and strength. Consider how such designs not only shaped physical spaces, but also reinforced social hierarchies.