Plattegrond en gevel van het landhuis Elsenburg te Maarsseveen 1648

This is Johannes Vinckboons' "Plattegrond en gevel van het landhuis Elsenburg te Maarsseveen," a drawing currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Vinckboons, working in the 17th century, was deeply embedded in the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by unprecedented economic prosperity and cultural flourishing in the Netherlands. Consider the context of the Dutch East India Company and the rise of a merchant class. This drawing isn’t just about architecture; it speaks to social status and wealth. The elaborate design of the Elsenburg estate reflects the tastes of a society in which land ownership and opulent displays of wealth were symbols of power and social mobility. While the drawing focuses on architectural precision, we might consider the emotional dimension of such a space. Who were the people moving through those rooms? What was it like to occupy such a building? What kind of labor was needed to run such a place? The emotional experience of domesticity and the power dynamics of the Dutch Golden Age are all wrapped up in this one drawing.