Fontein op het plein van de H. Dominicus te Madrid 1694 - 1737

Pieter van den Berge created this print of the Fountain in the Square of Santo Domingo in Madrid. Prints such as this offer us a glimpse into the urban fabric of 18th-century Madrid, but also into the ways cities were represented and consumed. This image, carefully composed, depicts a public space animated by figures from various social strata. The fountain, adorned with a statue, serves as a focal point, a symbol of civic pride and perhaps royal authority. Note the presence of carriages alongside pedestrians, indicating the social stratification of the city. The work likely served a dual purpose: documenting urban development and catering to a growing market for picturesque views. Such images were collected and displayed, reinforcing a sense of cultural identity and perhaps even a romanticized vision of urban life. By consulting period maps, documents, and other visual materials, we can reconstruct the social, political, and cultural context in which this print was made and circulated. The meaning of this artwork, therefore, is not fixed but is constantly negotiated through the lens of historical inquiry.