"Das geløbte Land..." 1793

Curator: This 1793 print, "Das gelobte Land...", made with etching and engraving on paper, presents us with an interesting view of... well, I'll admit, I’m not entirely sure what. It has a vaguely historical map-like quality. What are your first impressions? Editor: It reminds me of maps in old bibles. There's an antiquated feel to it and also, it makes me think of a very abstracted political statement? What can you tell me about the possible intentions of the piece, in terms of power dynamics? Curator: It's key to think about the context in which this image was created. The late 18th century was a period of immense upheaval and redefinition. Consider the "Promised Land" alluded to in the title - "Das gelobte Land". What does it mean to create a map of the "Promised Land" at a time when the old feudal order was collapsing? Editor: You are suggesting that "the Promised Land" is a metaphor, right? Curator: Exactly! Think of it this way. What communities and whose identity might it have spoken for or reflected? Did this "promised land" imply exclusion or even violence against others in order to exist? The map’s very creation during a revolutionary era would have had deep, powerful meanings that ripple into our own time. Editor: So you see the image as participating in the social discourse of its time? Curator: Absolutely. Visual representation, especially through printed matter available to the literate, wasn't just documentation; it was participation. Images of space can become a battleground for social imagination and change. The very act of defining and mapping out a ‘Promised Land’ can be seen as an act of power, privilege, and perhaps even dispossession. Editor: This changes everything about how I understood this image. I was looking at a strange map; now, I'm thinking about much broader socio-political dynamics. Thanks for offering this perspective. Curator: It’s all about context. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum; it is always speaking to, and shaped by, the world around it. I find myself looking at the image differently too now that we’ve explored its multiple meanings.