Gezicht op een landhuis nabij Chokier 1738 - 1744

This print presents a country house near Chokier, its symmetrical façade and manicured gardens speaking to the values of order and control that defined the European elite. The architectural symmetry mirrors a deeper quest for harmony, reminiscent of the Vitruvian ideals revived during the Renaissance. Consider the geometric precision of the garden. In ancient Egypt and Persia, gardens were paradises on earth, enclosures representing safety and abundance. This resonates through the ages, seen later in the monastic gardens of the Middle Ages, symbols of spiritual purity and order. Yet, the very act of imposing such rigid form onto nature hints at an underlying psychological tension. This need for control, to tame the wild, is a recurring theme in human expression, embodying our complex relationship with the natural world and the subconscious desire to master the chaos within and without. The enduring appeal of symmetry and order taps into our collective memory, a visual echo of a timeless yearning for balance and stability.