Russia in Europe, from "Court Game of Geography" 1838 - 1855

Editor: Here we have "Russia in Europe, from 'Court Game of Geography'," a drawing and print by William and Henry Rock, dating from sometime between 1838 and 1855. It’s displayed like a playing card, overlaid with hearts… quite an unusual presentation of cartography! What’s your take on it? Curator: Oh, it tugs at the heartstrings, doesn’t it? A map as a game, as entertainment, layered with those emotive symbols – those hearts. It’s almost disarming, considering the imperial ambitions simmering in Europe at the time. Look at how neatly Russia is defined in the map; everything it claims, marked by its proximity to these vulnerable, beating hearts! Makes you wonder about the nature of possession, doesn't it? How do you read the playful tone against the geopolitical backdrop? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about the… vulnerability of those hearts. I was more caught up in the novelty of the thing, you know? It feels like a satirical take, maybe, or even propaganda trying to make expansionism more palatable. Curator: Exactly! "Palatable," that's a perfect word for it. Consider the artistic choices – the illustrative style, the calculated arrangement of the hearts, practically stapled onto various key territories. Were the Rocks slyly critiquing Russia's growing footprint, or subtly reinforcing a sense of national pride? Maybe both at once! The personal and the political intertwining. Editor: So, it's more complex than I initially thought. Seeing the hearts now less as decoration, and more as, perhaps, targets? Or claims? That flips the reading quite a bit. Curator: Absolutely. The map transforms, doesn't it? It stops being just geography; it becomes a charged space, laden with intent and perhaps even a hint of anxiety. It reflects a time when the world was being mapped not just for knowledge, but for power. And of course, affection. Editor: Fascinating. I’ll never look at a deck of cards, or a map, the same way again! Thanks!