Gezicht op het Château de Choisy gezien vanaf de tuin 18th century

This anonymous artwork depicts the Château de Choisy and its gardens. The architecture is typical of its time, but it's the garden where we see cultural memory at play. Note the meticulously arranged garden, and the way the human figures stroll casually. It recalls the Garden of Eden; an enclosed, protected space, a safe distance from the dangers of the outside world. This motif of the garden as paradise appears throughout art history, from medieval tapestries to Renaissance paintings. But here, we see it manifested as a place for leisure and social display. The figures promenading through the gardens evoke a sense of order, reflecting a desire for control over nature and society. It’s an emotional refuge, a place where social order and beauty converge. This longing for an ideal world, for a safe space, seems to recur throughout history, with the garden serving as a recurring symbol of paradise.