Plattegrond van Scherpenheuvel 1661 - 1669

Editor: We’re looking at a “Plattegrond van Scherpenheuvel,” a 17th-century etching by Conrad Lauwers. It’s incredibly detailed. It gives the impression of both a functional city plan and some kind of abstract geometrical puzzle. What catches your eye? Curator: Ah, yes! It sings of order, doesn't it? The Baroque era loved to impose control and rationality on everything, including landscapes. This plan is like a vision quest for perfection, all laid out in precise lines. Look at the symmetry—it’s almost utopian. But don’t you feel a slight…tension beneath that perfect surface? Like something’s being held back? Editor: Tension? I mostly see ambition! All that planned space feels so deliberate, like the artist wanted to exert control. Curator: Indeed, ambitious control is a Baroque hallmark. Yet the map hints at more than just an ego trip. Look how the religious iconography is embedded right at the heart of it all, with radial streets moving towards its sacred center. Are we celebrating earthly power or divine order here, or perhaps they were never far apart back then? Editor: So, the layout isn’t purely about defense and organization? Curator: No, the Baroque mixed it all up – God, King, and geometrical idealism, shaken well. Consider it as theatre – this etching projects an image of authority and reverence for the place it represents, even idealizes it to stir the hearts and souls that see it. Isn't that an idea? Editor: Absolutely, seeing it as theatre really clicks. So much intention behind a simple plan. Curator: Exactly! It has reminded me how even practical drawings have this power. And what do you take away, as an aspiring artist? Editor: That everything, even something as seemingly objective as a map, can carry deep meanings, that every image is full of potential and hidden language.