Dame en heer in een tuin 1722 - 1784

Simon Fokke created this print, "Dame en heer in een tuin" - or "Lady and Gentleman in a Garden" - using etching techniques. Fokke, active in the 18th century, captured the fashions and social interactions of the Dutch elite. The scene portrays an encounter in a garden, likely a space designed for leisure and display, reflecting the values of the upper class. The lady and gentleman, adorned in elaborate clothing, are emblems of status and wealth. The garden, a curated version of nature, mirrors the control and order these elites imposed on their lives and surroundings. The rigid social hierarchies are softened by the seemingly intimate interaction between the pair. This scene raises questions about the roles of men and women within this structured society, and the personal dynamics that play out within these constraints. Fokke offers us a glimpse into a world where appearances and social expectations shaped individual experiences, revealing the tensions between the personal and the performative.