Illustratie voor 'Den Arbeid van Mars' van Allain Manesson Mallet 1672

Editor: This is "Illustratie voor 'Den Arbeid van Mars' van Allain Manesson Mallet" by Romeyn de Hooghe, an etching and engraving from 1672. What strikes me is how geometric it is, the way the clean lines of the cityscape seem almost planned. How would you interpret the symbolism at work here? Curator: Well, notice first how the rigid geometry up top contrasts with the miniature landscape of Den Briel. That contrast itself is symbolic. Do you see how the geometric figure almost seems to dictate or overlay itself upon the natural space of the landscape below? Editor: I do, almost like it's mapping out a blueprint. Curator: Precisely. In that period, such geometric forms held a deep association with power, order, and control. The rigid lines speak to human intervention, planning, and dominion over the natural world. What emotions does the work provoke in you? Editor: It gives off a feeling of calculation, like someone imposing their will on the land, which feels a bit unsettling given that "Mars" is in the title, after the Roman god of war. Is that link intentional? Curator: Undoubtedly. Consider Mars as a symbol. Beyond just war, he signifies a patriarchal drive for power, expansion, and control, visualized here through that geometric ordering of space. Note the measuring scale at the upper right too: further signifying controlled expansion. The symbols chosen were intentional, designed to communicate to the viewer. Editor: It's amazing to see how mathematical symbols and landscape are intertwined here. I definitely see the ambition, even the aggression, in the composition now. Curator: And aggression isn't merely physical; consider the imposition of an abstract grid over a once-organic, natural space as an act of aggression in itself. I hadn't quite appreciated that before now, either!