Landscape with a Walled Enclosure c. 17th century

Editor: This is Jean Morin's "Landscape with a Walled Enclosure," a lovely etching. It's rather small, almost like looking through a porthole into another world. What narratives do you find woven into this landscape? Curator: Landscapes like this aren't just pretty scenes. Consider the wall: Who does it keep in, and who does it keep out? During Morin’s time, such structures often signified power and control, reinforcing social hierarchies. How does that influence your reading of the "peaceful" scene? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, I was focused on the aesthetic. It makes me wonder about the figures outside the enclosure – are they free, or just excluded? Curator: Precisely. The ambiguity is key. Morin’s landscape invites us to question whose perspective is centered and whose is marginalized. It is a visual statement on power relations disguised as pastoral tranquility. Editor: I see it now! It’s a lot more complex than I initially thought. Thanks for shifting my perspective! Curator: That’s the power of art – to challenge our assumptions and open up new ways of seeing the world.