Gezicht op de Poolse stad Wrocław 1675 - 1711

Here is the audio guide script about the artwork. This is an engraving of the Polish city Wrocław, by an anonymous artist. The image is dominated by a flat plane of water bisecting the composition. Above, a fortified wall runs horizontally, punctuated by towers and buildings that reach into a sky filled with stylized clouds. The engraving's formal structure is noteworthy. The symmetry of the city’s reflection in the water creates a doubling effect, typical of the period, underscoring themes of mirroring and representation. The lines are clean, serving to define architectural forms while also suggesting a certain rigidity in the urban structure. The choice of perspective, from a distance, presents the city as an object of contemplation rather than a lived space. This distance encourages a reading of the city as a symbol of order and control, reflecting the period's fascination with urban planning as a means of social and political organization. The print invites us to consider the city not just as a place, but as a concept.