Diagrammen en doorsneden in de vestingbouw, ca. 1702 1702 - 1703

Curator: Here we have "Diagrammen en doorsneden in de vestingbouw," or "Diagrams and Sections in Fortification Construction," an ink and engraving drawing made around 1702. Editor: It has the aesthetic of dry technical instruction, doesn't it? Rather intimidating, really. Curator: Intimidating? Perhaps because these designs were quite literally about power. Look closer, and you’ll see detailed plans for fortifications, almost like elaborate geometric puzzles. This work provides insight into the mindset of early 18th century military engineers. The fortifications' shapes are visually striking. Their elaborate forms echo star shapes. Editor: And they served very particular social and political ends, enabling conquest and defending territory, not just the elegant star designs. The visual language is beautiful, but what kind of statements were those structures communicating in the social and political landscape of the day? Who benefited, and who was excluded or threatened? Curator: Precisely. This anonymous work reveals how warfare strategies were intricately mapped out on paper, representing a merging of art, science, and power during a time when Europe was reshaping itself through conflict. It highlights how knowledge itself becomes a tool in exerting authority. Editor: You're absolutely right. It's crucial to read against the grain of these official depictions and consider what they deliberately omit or naturalize. After all, fortresses also function as sites of control and subjugation. So this isn't only history; these techniques echo in modern statecraft too, no? Curator: Absolutely. This object is interesting in thinking about the narratives that history painting offers, and whether, too, it also makes claims about our current affairs. I do believe considering an interdisciplinary understanding offers rich opportunities to rethink inherited or dominant stories that define power. Editor: Agreed, seeing those intricate fortress designs not just as isolated artistic achievements, but as active participants in a complex history, makes all the difference.