Plattegrond van de Hortus Medicus of Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam 1693

This anonymous engraving depicts the ground plan of Amsterdam's Hortus Botanicus, offering a glimpse into the 17th-century world of medicinal plants and scientific curiosity. The dominant visual symbols here are the structured garden beds themselves, meticulously arranged. This geometric organization echoes back to ancient symbolic layouts of temple gardens, reflecting a human desire to impose order upon nature. Consider the labyrinthine patterns of the central flowerbeds, and how they mirror the classical myths of the maze. This symbol of the garden isn't merely decorative; it is deeply rooted in the collective memory. Gardens have long been seen as microcosms of the universe, places where humans can understand the secrets of life and death. Think of the Garden of Eden, a place of innocence and temptation; or the Persian gardens, representing paradise on earth. The formal, rigid design reveals an intention to categorise and control the natural world. It is in this tension between the wild and the cultivated that we can explore the complex relationship between humanity and nature.