Gezicht op Lyon in een bocht van de Saône 1631 - 1691

Israel Silvestre designed and etched this vue of Lyon in the mid-17th century, probably for circulation as a print. It presents us with an important question: what is the public role of art? This is a bird's-eye view of the city of Lyon in France and the Saône river, likely intended for consumption by an elite audience. The location is captured in fine detail using hatched lines, with text at the bottom in French referring to the 'privilege du roi'. Silvestre presents us with a view of Lyon that legitimizes the reign of the King of France. The viewpoint emphasizes the dominance of the architecture, and consequently, the monarch, over the landscape. Prints such as these were often commissioned by wealthy patrons and distributed amongst their social circle. Today, it is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. To understand the print’s full meaning and the relationship between artist, patron and institution, further research could be conducted into the social history of 17th-century France and the political role of imagery.