Krans met juweel, onderaan panorama van Rouen 1665

Balthazar Moncornet created this print, Krans met juweel, onderaan panorama van Rouen, sometime in the 17th century. At the time, prints were a popular medium for circulating imagery and information, acting as a precursor to modern photography and media. Moncornet’s print depicts a wreath of flowers framing a jewel, which dangles above a panoramic view of Rouen. Ornamentation like this gives us insight into the values of the aristocratic class and their lavish displays of wealth. Consider the context of 17th-century France, a time of strict social hierarchies, religious conflict, and the consolidation of royal power under the Bourbon monarchy. Here, the jewel and wreath might symbolize the intertwined nature of power, status, and beauty, reflecting the social values of the time. The panoramic view serves to further highlight and celebrate the wealth and power of the ruling class. This jewel becomes a marker of identity, indicative of one’s position within the social hierarchy. The detailed, ornamental style suggests a desire to capture and preserve beauty, a desire to give form to the ephemeral.