Kaart met de strijd om Cadiz, 1702 1702 - 1703

This is an anonymous map of the battle of Cadiz, created in 1702. The stark monochrome engraving uses line and form to convey geographic and military information, but also evokes a sense of tension. The composition is divided into distinct zones: the massed ships at sea, the detailed rendering of the city and its defenses, and the schematic representation of the surrounding landscape. Note the contrast between the ordered ranks of ships and the more chaotic, organic shapes of the land. The lines of attack, radiating from the fleet, disrupt the visual harmony, suggesting the violence and disruption of warfare. The map employs a semiotic system in which lines, shapes, and text combine to create meaning. The precision of the engraving suggests a desire for control and understanding, yet the event itself, the battle, is a disruption of order. Consider how the stark, graphic style of the map reduces a complex historical event to a series of abstract forms, inviting us to contemplate the relationship between representation and reality. Ultimately, this artwork's value lies in its ability to capture a moment in time through a combination of aesthetic precision and symbolic representation.