Tongerloo (Tungerloa) 1650

This is Wenceslaus Hollar’s print of Tongerloo Abbey, a Norbertine monastery near Antwerp, made during the mid-17th century. The high, panoramic viewpoint shows the Abbey's architecture, gardens, and surrounding landscape. Such bird’s-eye views were fashionable during this time, reflecting a culture keen on displaying property and power. Notice the geometric precision of the gardens, a testament to human control over nature. Hollar's print offers insights into the social and religious landscape of the period. The Norbertine order, committed to education and pastoral care, played a vital role in local society. The Abbey itself was a center of learning, its layout reflecting the hierarchical structure of monastic life, and its wealth visible in the scale of its buildings. To truly understand this image, archival research into the Abbey's history, the political climate of the time, and Hollar's artistic context would be invaluable. Art like this is an index of the culture that produces it.