Illustratie voor 'Den Arbeid van Mars' van Allain Manesson Mallet 1672

This illustration, made by Romeyn de Hooghe, visualizes Allain Manesson Mallet's 'Den Arbeid van Mars' through geometric figures, placing surveyors within circles and triangles on a barren landscape. These shapes, far from mere technical aids, are symbols of cosmic order, seen in ancient diagrams mapping the heavens. The circle, emblematic of perfection and eternity, recurs throughout history, from religious mandalas to Renaissance architectural plans. Here, it frames human actions, suggesting an attempt to impose rational order on the chaos of the earth. The surveyor’s tools—rods and measuring devices—become extensions of the human will to dominate and understand, echoing the psychological drive behind cartography and territorial conquest. Consider the emotional impulse behind such endeavors; a desire to chart the unknown, a symbolic claiming of space, driven by deep-seated fears of the unmapped, a desire for control. This impulse resurfaces time and again, transforming with each age, yet rooted in primal needs. The illustration serves as a potent reminder of how symbols evolve, reflecting humanity’s cyclical quest for mastery over its environment.