Tuin met een parterre met in de diagonalen vierkante compartimenten c. 1583 - 1640

Curator: This is an etching titled “Tuin met een parterre met in de diagonalen vierkante compartimenten,” created sometime between 1583 and 1640 by an anonymous artist. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately, I’m drawn into this intricately patterned garden, an ordered green dream. The geometric beds make my eyes dance around, and it’s rendered in such crisp detail. I’d get lost there in five seconds flat, wandering about with an oversized hat and a secret. Curator: You know, gardens during this period were often powerful political statements. The aristocracy controlled land, and highly ornamented spaces like this showed how effectively they could control nature itself and put it on display. Think of it as visual dominion. Editor: I like that—visual dominion. It feels true. Even the perfectly shaped trees look like proud soldiers lined up, right? Like everything here is just showing off, shouting about wealth, beauty, power and privilege! You want it all when you look at it. The way things are set out reminds me of life’s challenges as a puzzle and a reminder that they, the owners, hold the key. Curator: Precisely. And prints like these circulated widely. So even folks who'd never set foot in such a garden were exposed to these visual codes. And by using techniques such as etching they allowed many of them to be created. Consider how that dissemination reinforced the status quo. Editor: That's interesting. Knowing all of this history adds so much layers and makes it even more fascinating! Even that feeling that if this was ever constructed it had to have taken several lifetimes to accomplish... Curator: Yes, I've often considered that myself. And while we can only guess about the artist's original intent, we can certainly appreciate its impact throughout the years to those viewing. Editor: True, it has some timeless appeal! Like peeking into another world...well, now I am lost in daydreams.