Gezicht op vijver 1896

Joseph Pennell created this print called ‘Gezicht op vijver’ using graphite. It depicts what appears to be a formal garden, a European style of garden that emerged during the Renaissance, and it offers us an opportunity to consider the institutional history of gardens. Gardens have often been regarded as signifiers of social status, artistic taste, and power, and this print appears to partake in that tradition. The image creates meaning through visual codes that are deeply rooted in cultural references and historical associations. While this print lacks a definitive date, it was likely created in Europe at some point between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A formal garden could reference something as specific as aristocratic patronage or, more generally, the politics of public space. By examining the socio-political, economic, and cultural forces in which it was made, we might better understand its meaning.