Gezicht op Blois in vogelvluchtperspectief 1638

This is an anonymous, undated image of Blois presented in bird's eye view. The conventions of mapping and city views have long been associated with power. This image comes from a time of religious conflict and strong territorial rivalries. The bird's eye view presents an apparently objective overview, but the choice of what to include and how to represent it inevitably involves subjective decisions. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. For example, the walls and fortifications are prominently displayed, emphasizing the city's defenses, in a country in which conflict between Protestants and Catholics was raging. The neat walled gardens outside the walls are another sign of the wealth and status of its inhabitants. Examining such images allows historians to understand the political and social context in which they were made and to uncover the power dynamics at play in the representation of space. Comparing it to other images from the period, alongside archival research, gives a richer sense of the society that created them.