Merry Company on a Terrace

This mezzotint, *Merry Company on a Terrace*, was created by Nicolaas Verkolje in the Netherlands, likely in the late 17th or early 18th century. Verkolje here presents a scene of wealthy people and children on a terrace in a classical style, perhaps alluding to the supposed virtues of the Roman Republic. Yet, at left, a soldier menaces the party, suggesting the precariousness of their position. We might consider this image within the context of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of unprecedented economic growth that followed decades of war. The tension in the image might suggest both pride in Dutch society and anxiety about its stability. To better understand the artist and his era, one might look to period literature and social histories, as well as the records of Dutch art academies and museums. Attending to these resources helps us understand this work as a product of a specific time and place, rather than simply as a timeless aesthetic object.