A Cartographer of Power: The Life and Art of Claude Masse Claude Masse, born in France in 1652 and passing away in 1737, occupies a fascinating, yet often overlooked, position within the annals of French art. He wasn’t a painter of grand historical scenes or delicate portraits; instead, Masse dedicated his considerable talent to the meticulous documentation of fortifications, townscapes, and construction projects—a visual chronicler o…