Johann Jacob Schüblers Neunzehende Ausgabe seines vorhabenden Wercks, Worinnen vorgestellet werden Unterschiedliche Moderne Garten-Ornemens (...) after 1724

Curator: This piece presents an interesting window into early 18th-century garden design. This is “Johann Jacob Schüblers Neunzehende Ausgabe seines vorhabenden Wercks,” dating from after 1724. Editor: Woah, a real typographical feast! All those baroque fonts shouting at each other… What is it, exactly? Curator: It’s an engraing print poster. Jeremias Wolff published this nineteenth edition, depicting various garden ornaments—cascades, antique busts, and what sounds like rather elaborate landscaping. Editor: "Typographical feast" is too kind. It’s almost aggressive, isn’t it? It feels like visual noise designed to overwhelm. All those Teutonic letterforms are supposed to sell landscaping ideas? Curator: Remember the time, though. The Baroque *loved* ornament, loved density. And print was how you advertised then! Look at how the descriptions boast of novelty and refined taste—garden design was serious business for the wealthy. Editor: Yes, but who had time to decode all that verbiage? Perhaps its aesthetic impact outweighed its legibility. I think this points to a system where only a privileged elite, proficient in ancient languages and social etiquette, can actually decipher the piece. Curator: Well, certainly the leisure to cultivate such gardens presupposes significant wealth and privilege. Note how Latin phrases also weave into the German and Italian text here—a real display of erudition! It speaks to power, knowledge and international commerce Editor: I see those textual references you mentioned function like performative gatekeeping: Who's *in*, and who is manifestly *out*. How can we make these historical design manifestos feel relevant today? Curator: Well, thinking about the fight for public space in contemporary cities. The battle to shape our environment, the echoes of privilege and power... Perhaps these ornamental gardens offer a strange mirror to those struggles. Editor: A fascinating link. And the discussion helps me to feel far less overwhelmed by those Teutonic fonts—so thank you! Curator: My pleasure. Let's go find something more legible next!