Gezicht op de tuin van buitenplaats Driemond 1790

Daniël Stopendaal created this print of the Driemond garden in the early 18th century, using engraving techniques. The image is made by cutting lines into a metal plate, which holds ink to transfer the design onto paper. The striking symmetry of the garden layout would have required careful planning and a large team of laborers to maintain. Notice how the materials, like the precisely trimmed hedges and trees, are manipulated to create a controlled, almost artificial landscape. The meticulous arrangement and upkeep demanded significant resources, reflecting the wealth and power of the estate owner. The print itself serves as a kind of advertisement, showcasing the estate's grandeur and, by extension, the owner's status. In this way, even a seemingly straightforward image like this one is deeply connected to social hierarchies and the economics of display. It prompts us to consider how landscapes, like other crafted objects, can be shaped to express particular values and power structures.