Gezicht op Duffel Possibly 1675

Constantijn Huygens the Younger created “Gezicht op Duffel” as a pen drawing in 1675. Huygens, scion of a powerful family during the Dutch Golden Age, captured a serene view of Duffel, a town embodying the era's wealth and social stratification. The drawing reflects the Dutch Republic's complex relationship with land and power. The vast, open fields contrast with the distant, fortified architecture, subtly hinting at the economic disparities of the time. While the landed gentry enjoyed peace and prosperity, the labor of the working class was essential to maintaining it. Huygens, positioned within this social hierarchy, frames the landscape through his own lens of privilege and status. The work offers us a glimpse into the world of 17th-century Dutch society, where power, wealth, and identity were intricately linked to the land. It reminds us to consider whose stories are told, and whose are left out of the picture.