Façade met rondbogen en pilasters 1772 - 1779

This print, made by Jean Pelletier in the 18th century, meticulously depicts a building façade with rounded arches and pilasters. Its stark black lines against the pale background emphasize the structure's geometric clarity and balanced composition. The architecture is presented with rigorous symmetry, with three arches evenly spaced beneath corresponding pilasters. Pelletier uses line and form to construct a seemingly rational architectural space, echoing classical ideals of order and proportion. Yet, if we read this façade as a sign, what does it signify? The graphic nature of the print emphasizes the artificiality of representation itself. The ordered facade might propose an ideal of rational design, but the medium reminds us that this is a constructed image, not reality. Perhaps Pelletier subtly interrogates the Enlightenment's faith in reason through this interplay of form and representation. The print invites us to consider how architectural forms carry cultural and philosophical meanings, mediated through the artist's hand.