Zijaanzicht van buitenhuis De Nes te Vreeland 1687 - 1693

Bastiaen Stopendael created this side-view print of the country house, De Nes, in Vreeland during the Dutch Golden Age. Stopendael was born into a period of unprecedented economic growth and cultural flourishing in the Netherlands. This print reflects the values and social structures of the time. The Nes, with its symmetrical design and clean lines, embodies the era’s emphasis on order, rationality, and prosperity. But it also speaks to the growing divide in wealth and power. The house becomes a symbol of class and social status. Who were the families who occupied these spaces and what was their relationship to those that labored both inside and out? Through Stopendael’s detailed rendering, we are invited to consider the complex dynamics of identity, class, and representation that shaped the Dutch Golden Age. The print serves as a window into the lives and values of the elite, while prompting us to reflect on those whose stories remain largely untold.