Beleg van Geertruidenberg, 1593 1607 - 1612

This is an anonymous print from 1593, depicting the siege of Geertruidenberg with fine lines on paper. The bird's-eye perspective gives a sense of overview and control, echoing the strategic importance of cartography during times of conflict. Notice how the strongholds, town walls, and their symmetrical layout contrast with the organic patterns of the surrounding landscape and waters. This tension can be seen throughout history, from ancient city-states to modern urban planning, reflecting humanity's urge to control the natural world through geometric order. This motif persists. What do you think looking at this image? Perhaps a primitive sense of security and a subconscious desire for an ordered existence? The act of mapping and capturing places through reproducible images allowed for distant viewing and the psychological projection of ownership, reflecting how we, as humans, seek to dominate and understand our world.