Plattegrond van Valletta, 1726 1726

This is a map of Valletta, Malta, made in 1726 by an anonymous artist, meticulously rendered on paper. The map's creation involved the skilled handiwork of a draughtsman, who translated spatial information into precise lines and symbols. Consider the material of paper itself, and the way it bears the marks of ink. The ink was likely made from natural materials. These materials, and the processes involved in transforming them into a tool for representing the world, are critical to the map's social significance. This wasn't just about geographical accuracy; it was about power, control, and the visual assertion of dominance over territory. Each stroke of the engraver's tool, each carefully placed label, speaks to the labor involved in producing this document, and the broader political economy it represents. The act of mapping, then, is never neutral. It's always an act of making, shaping, and interpreting the world. Paying attention to the materials and techniques behind this map helps us understand its deeper cultural meaning.