Abstract
This article uses the elemental concepts of earth, water and fire to examine the production, use and control of space in the seventeenth-century Wrangel estate at Skokloster in central Sweden. Using a relational approach, the paper discusses how the elements symbolically express a part of the baroque aesthetic, how they were emphasised or pinned down as part of an economic asset, and how they reacted and produced space in dialogue with human agents. The reciprocal relations between man and earth through food production, tenancy and rent, or the management of woodland for firewood, demonstrate an on-going interaction between various socially-hierarchical agents. The construction of dams and the control of water illustrate other struggles between the tenants, the proprietor and the water itself. When setting up new types of heating systems inside the castle multiple sources of agency are visualised – the owners, the domestic servants, the woodland and the fireplaces. The study concludes that the elements operated as more than aesthetic and philosophical categories, but were empirically-evident worldly driving-forces.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call