Wereldkaart met een allegorie op de vier elementen 1663 - 1710

This is Romeyn de Hooghe’s allegorical map of the world, an engraving made around the turn of the 18th century. Maps, of course, are themselves powerful symbols, representing not just geography but also knowledge, power, and dominion. Look at how de Hooghe surrounds the geographical depictions with allegorical figures representing the four elements—earth, water, air, and fire. These elements, fundamental to classical understanding of the cosmos, appear throughout art history. Consider the recurrence of water nymphs in Renaissance fountains, or the depiction of fiery hellscapes in medieval art. Here, fire is particularly striking. In the upper-left corner, we see scenes of battle and destruction, symbolizing not just the element of fire but also the destructive force of human conflict. This brings to mind the recurrent motif of the "fires of war" seen across various cultures. In antiquity, fire was a symbol of purification and transformation. Here, it hints at the psychological undercurrents of fear and aggression tied to our concept of land and ownership. The cyclical nature of these symbols reveals our collective subconscious, constantly reinterpreting and reimagining these primal forces.