Questioning the view: Historical geography and topographical art

Abstract

This article argues that a recent resurgence of interest in topographical art has opened up a new and exciting debate about how such drawings and paintings can be used by historical geographers. This is demonstrated by a review of recent research by historical geographers, art historians, and historians, which explores how topographical art is being interrogated to examine landscape history and environmental change. Topographical views provide insights into the way in which landscapes of the past were shaped, used, and perceived. The article establishes that topographical art is increasingly used in the analysis of past geomorphological processes, which have significant implications for current landscape and heritage management. It reveals that when topographical art is correctly contextualized it can be an extremely valuable source. The artist's biography and education is of crucial importance, as well as the comparison with historical cartographies, documents, and field data. Historical geographers are particularly well placed to undertake research, which questions the artwork's accuracy and goes beyond its literal interpretation as a straightforward depiction of a place.

Coupling Historical Maps and LiDAR Data to Identify Man-Made Landforms in Urban Areas

“…Their narrowing is one of the reasons of the frequent flood events of the two streams. In the 1950-2015 period, 5 floods with discharge between 700 and 1000 m 3 /s occurred [12,45,67]. During intense rainfall events (>50 mm/h, [44,45]), minor sink-holes due to collapses of culvert-arches of underground streams took place [42], something that is also very likely to occur in the Circonvallazione a Monte area.…”