Gezicht op Huis Steenhoven, Huis Swanenburg, Huis Lammerenburg en Huis Rustenburg 1657 - 1725

This engraving, by Pieter Hendricksz. Schut, made around the mid-17th century, depicts four views of country estates, showcasing not just architecture but also societal ideals. Consider the ordered gardens: they echo the human desire to control nature, a motif stretching back to ancient times, seen in Roman villas and Persian paradises. These gardens are more than mere decoration; they symbolize a controlled, idealized world, reflecting the owner's power and social status. The presence of people enjoying these spaces also brings to mind earlier depictions of earthly paradises, where nature and humanity exist in perfect harmony. Like figures in Renaissance paintings frolicking in idyllic landscapes, these scenes reflect a deep-seated longing for an unspoiled world, evoking a sense of nostalgia and psychological escape. The image, therefore, operates on multiple levels, speaking to our collective memory of beauty, order, and a longing for a lost, perhaps imagined, paradise, recurring in human expression across time.