Prospekt af Gavnø 1767

Jonas Haas created this etching, "Prospekt af Gavnø," to depict Gavnø Castle, sometime before his death in 1775. The image is striking in its depiction of land ownership and social hierarchy. Haas, who was born in Nurnberg, Germany, but later settled in Copenhagen, was well known for his detailed cityscapes and landscapes. The etching provides a bird's eye view of the castle and its grounds, meticulously illustrating the manicured gardens, waterways, and surrounding structures. This isn’t just a picture of a building; it is an assertion of power. The perfectly organized grounds and impressive architecture symbolize wealth, control, and the rigid social order of 18th-century Danish aristocracy. Even the small figures in the landscape— the horse-drawn carriage and lone fisherman— underscore the castle's dominance and the social strata of the time. By highlighting the castle’s imposing presence, Haas invites us to consider the complex relationships between power, space, and social identity.