Huis Ressen te Ressen 1731

Abraham de Haen the Younger made this drawing of Huis Ressen te Ressen with pen in gray ink and brush in gray ink. It pictures a Dutch country house from the 1700s. Its formal symmetry speaks to the values of the time. During the Dutch Golden Age, wealthy merchants and landowners built these estates as symbols of their status and success. As we look closer, we see how the geometric lines of the house are softened by the surrounding nature. There is the carefully manicured garden, and the trees behind the house. Even a little boat is by the river. These details suggest a cultivated ideal of country life, where nature and wealth are harmoniously combined. Historical research into estate records, family papers, and local histories can help to reconstruct the social and cultural life of the families who lived in such houses. Art helps us to understand the values and aspirations of past societies.