Gezicht op Moskou, 1726 1726

This is an anonymous etching titled "Gezicht op Moskou", or "View of Moscow", from 1726. As we gaze upon this rendering of Moscow, it's important to remember that the image comes to us through the lens of an anonymous outsider during a period of significant transformation in Russia. It was a time when Peter the Great's reforms were beginning to shift the country’s identity towards Europe. The panoramic view, the figures in the foreground, and the detached style, were all common tropes in European depictions of foreign cities. But what does it mean when a place is viewed, represented, and consumed by others? Consider the power dynamics at play when an anonymous artist decides what to show, and what to leave out. There's something inherently mediated about this image, isn't there? It is a reminder of how cultural and political relationships shape what we see and understand. It invites us to reflect on whose perspectives are included in the historical record and whose are not.