Gezicht op Arras, ca. 1675 1650 - 1699

This is an engraving of a "View of Arras," made around 1675 by an anonymous Dutch artist. It depicts the French city of Arras, framed by an ornate border. The image presents a combination of urban and rural elements, and includes people and animals. The artist likely never visited Arras, which raises some questions about the image's accuracy. In the seventeenth century, the Dutch Republic was at the forefront of mapmaking and cityscapes, and this image speaks to the culture of information that had taken hold. The image's meaning hinges on the social and political context in which it was made. At the time, Arras was under French rule, having changed hands several times between France and the Spanish Netherlands. The print may reflect Dutch interest in, or even competition with, the French. The role of historians is to examine the conditions in which such images were produced and circulated. Scholarly resources, like period maps and political documents, can help us understand how the Dutch viewed Arras and its place in the European landscape.