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

Romeyn de Hooghe created this illustration for Allain Manesson Mallet's "Den Arbeid van Mars" using engraving techniques. The composition is split into three distinct horizontal layers. A fortified city dominates the upper third. It uses a high vantage point that is typical of the era, creating a sense of elevation and authority. Notice how the meticulous lines describe the architectural details. Below the city, the landscape is ordered by fields and roads, using a grid-like structure that imposes human order on nature. The lower part is dedicated to mountains. De Hooghe uses the formal elements to suggest control and rationality but also conveys an element of the sublime. The sharp contrast between the ordered city and the wild, mountainous landscape hints at an underlying tension, echoing the broader theme of man versus nature and the civilised versus the untamed. This work is not just a visual document, but a complex representation of power, order, and the ever-present potential for disruption.