Het huis Valkenburg 1785

Hendrik Tavenier made this wash drawing of Het huis Valkenburg in the Netherlands during the late 18th century. It gives us a glimpse into the life of the Dutch elite at this time. The image presents a grand country house, set back from a road where a horse and carriage stand waiting. A woman can be seen in the doorway of an adjacent building. What can we deduce about Dutch society at the time from this image? Well, firstly it shows a society with a wealthy land-owning class, able to afford country estates such as the one depicted here. We might also note the presence of servants, hinted at by the figure in the doorway. This country house aesthetic reflected the values of the Dutch elite. Historical sources such as estate records, diaries, and letters, can tell us more about the lives of the people who inhabited these spaces. They also show how this kind of imagery helps reinforce certain social structures.