Plattegrond van en gezicht op Oudenaarde 1735

Curator: Let’s explore this fascinating print from 1735 titled "Plattegrond van en gezicht op Oudenaarde," or "Plan and view of Oudenaarde." It’s currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oudenaarde! It’s like a perfectly organized cake—iced walls, garden filling... I’m getting a sugar rush just looking at this Baroque blueprint. Curator: Exactly! These cityscapes, popularized in the Baroque era, weren't just aesthetic. They served a practical purpose, mapping and representing power structures through urban planning and defensive capabilities. It shows how a city presented itself. Editor: "Presenting," yes, because the city practically glows. You see those little coats of arms floating about? Like saying, “Hey, look at us, a fortress… but make it fashion!” Was this about selling the strength or maybe about selling the city, period? Curator: Possibly both. Prints like these played a key role in civic promotion. Consider the level of detail, the carefully delineated architecture. It suggests a stable, prosperous community, attractive to merchants and investors. Editor: There's a strange contrast between the precise map and the landscape up top. Is that suppose to be "reality", this flattened vision? Almost makes you feel that maps make reality flatter somehow, you know? Less romantic. Curator: A compelling thought. That bird's-eye perspective, carefully rendered in engraving, allowed the artist, Reynier Blokhuysen, to offer both practical and symbolic views of the city in a time of expanding empires and trade routes. Each was as vital as the other. Editor: In the grand scheme, yes. This work’s more than just a historical record. To me it feels more like a story—part fantasy, part brag, but ultimately about people and the space they wanted to protect, nurture... and probably show off a little, eh? Curator: A story etched in lines and loaded with implications of control and aspiration. Now that is worth the trip, yes? Editor: Completely. The sheer confidence projected from a bit of paper! What could be better?