Twee portes-cochères 1673 - 1752

Daniël Marot created this print, "Twee portes-cochères," sometime between 1673 and 1752, capturing architectural details. Marot, as a Huguenot, fled religious persecution in France and his designs became a fusion of French and Dutch styles. These entrances aren't merely about getting inside; they're statements of power and social standing. The precise lines and balanced composition speak to a society deeply invested in order and hierarchy. But look closer—the faces sculpted above the doorways, the ornate decorations. These are subtle nods to personal identity and taste within a rigid social framework. How do these architectural choices reflect the lives of those who passed through these doors? Were these spaces of welcome or of exclusion? Consider the emotional weight of these thresholds. What does it mean to be invited in, or kept out? This print invites us to reflect on how architecture shapes our interactions and perceptions of one another.