Tuin met twee parterres en de gevel van een huis c. 1583 - 1640

Editor: Here we have a fascinating intaglio print, “Tuin met twee parterres en de gevel van een huis” – A Garden with Two Parterres and the Facade of a House, made sometime between 1583 and 1640. It is unsigned, housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. It feels so formal, almost theatrical. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the garden as a stage for social ritual. The geometric parterres, so meticulously rendered, speak of order and control. Gardens of this kind became status symbols in the Renaissance era. Have you considered the symbolism embedded in such calculated landscapes? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about it in that way, I suppose, just appreciating the symmetry. But, a status symbol, that makes sense! Curator: Yes, consider the cultural memory embedded within the image of a garden. It's not merely decorative. It signifies wealth, power, and even an aspiration toward earthly paradise. The architectural elements mirrored in the garden design reflect an understanding of human ambition. Can you see how the garden mimics the controlled space of the home? Editor: Now that you point it out, it really does look like an open air version of the home. I was focusing so much on the pretty layout, I missed all the symbolic intention! Curator: Intention is exactly what the artist wants you to see. It offers a sense of permanence, order, and power through carefully orchestrated images. Each deliberate line carries psychological and emotional weight, perpetuating an image of the idealized Northern-Renaissance home and family. Editor: It’s interesting to think of an image of a garden as a symbol of power rather than just… pretty landscaping! Curator: The surface appeal of a pretty garden only serves to support and encourage its place in our collective visual language. The garden persists as a potent symbol of cultivated space and managed success, a cultural idea continually being updated, renovated and preserved in visual media.