Kaart van Groningen, 1940 c. 1947

This is a map of Groningen, made by Studio Certo in 1940. It’s a feast for the eyes, a symphony of muted ochres, blues and browns, all neatly contained by a thin borderline. I love the mind-state of map-making: the impulse to order, to know, to pin down the sprawling world! Imagining Studio Certo at work, I think of them hunched over their drawing boards, poring over surveys, patiently rendering each town and road. There must have been a sense of great responsibility: they were fixing Groningen in time. But maybe there was also a sense of playful curiosity, a genuine desire to explore. The lines are so fine and precise, yet they evoke a sense of movement, guiding our eyes across the landscape. Each tiny mark is a testament to their dedication. You can see the artist's hand, but the map also becomes a landscape in its own right, speaking to history, and maybe even whispering a little about the future. It is, above all, a work of love and craft.