Gezicht op de stad Barcelona 1694 - 1737

Pieter van den Berge’s etching, "View of the City of Barcelona," from the late 17th to early 18th century, presents a bird's-eye perspective of Barcelona, revealing the city's structure and its relationship to the sea. The layout follows a systematic logic with the walled city delineated into distinct blocks. A warm palette of pinkish-red for the buildings contrasts with cooler tones of blues and greens in the landscape. The composition is divided horizontally with the city and its fortifications occupying the upper half. The lower portion of the artwork depicts the surrounding terrain and human figures, adding a foreground that draws the viewer into the scene. The linear precision in the architectural rendering and the soft, atmospheric rendering of the sky underscore the period's interest in combining scientific accuracy with aesthetic appeal. The etching functions not just as a topographical record but also as a cultural artifact. The details of urban planning and landscape each reflect the era’s preoccupation with order, control, and the representation of space as a structured entity. The interplay between the formal elements of line, color, and perspective provides insight into the worldview that shaped both the city and its representation.