Gezicht op de Straat van Gibraltar 1668 - 1669

Wenceslaus Hollar's "View of the Strait of Gibraltar," made with pen in brown, watercolor in blue and gray, presents a landscape of strategic importance, reflecting the 17th-century's intense geopolitical interests. Born in Prague, Hollar's life was one of displacement, shaped by the religious conflicts of the Thirty Years' War, and his art was often commissioned by those in power. This rendering of the Strait is more than a scenic view; it's a document of power dynamics, showing the narrow passage connecting the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, a vital point for maritime trade and military control. The ships sailing through evoke the era’s complex relationships between exploration, commerce, and conflict. What does it mean to picture a border? Here, the land is neutral, merely a vantage point. One is left to wonder about the lives and identities that crisscrossed this space.