Binnenplaats van het kasteel Tre Kronor, vanuit het westen 1670

This etching, titled "Binnenplaats van het kasteel Tre Kronor, vanuit het westen" or "Courtyard of Tre Kronor Castle from the West", was created by Jean Lepautre. Lepautre, who was active in the 17th century, captured the Tre Kronor Castle, a symbol of Swedish power, before its destruction by fire in 1697. Considered from the vantage of today, the work raises questions about national identity and the stories we tell about ourselves through architecture. Lepautre, a Frenchman, was commissioned to represent a Swedish royal space. Was he thus implicated in crafting a specific image of Swedish identity for external consumption? The meticulous detail given to the architecture contrasts with the rather generic depiction of people within the courtyard, suggesting perhaps that the building itself, rather than its inhabitants, was the true subject of the work. The etching serves as a window into a world defined by strict social hierarchies and monarchical power, prompting us to reflect on how such structures shape individual and collective identities.