Gezicht op Falaise 1657

This detailed rendering of Falaise presents us with a walled city, its architectural elements rendered with the precision of a cartographer's eye. The walls, punctuated by towers, serve not only as a physical barrier, but also as a potent symbol of security and order. This motif of enclosure echoes through the ages, from the fortified cities of antiquity to the walled gardens of medieval tapestries, each embodying the human desire for protection. Consider, however, how this desire for safety is deeply intertwined with a darker impulse—the need to define and defend territory, visible in the recurring pattern of walled settlements across cultures. The image evokes both a sense of communal safety and the latent threat of exclusion and conflict. As we delve deeper, we begin to see the cyclical dance between protection and isolation, a dance that continues to shape our urban landscapes.