Illustratie voor 'Den Arbeid van Mars' van Allain Manesson Mallet 1672

This illustration for Allain Manesson Mallet’s book ‘Den Arbeid van Mars’, or ‘The Labor of Mars’, was made by Romeyn de Hooghe around 1680, using etching and engraving. These techniques involve applying a waxy ground to a metal plate, drawing through it to expose the metal, and then bathing the plate in acid. The incised lines hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under pressure. The relatively mechanical, reproducible nature of this process chimes with the subject matter. We see an architectural rendering of fortifications, depicted with a stark, diagrammatic quality. Consider the implications of this imagery. The knowledge and labor required to build such structures would have been considerable. The print hints at the intersection of military engineering and state power. Its crisp lines and reproducible nature speak to the industrialization of warfare that was then gathering pace, requiring the collective work of engineers and soldiers alike. This isn't just art; it's a blueprint for control.