Gezicht op Huis Waterlooswerve c. 1662

Pieter Hendricksz. Schut created this print of Huis Waterlooswerve, a stately home, sometime in the mid-17th century, using the technique of engraving. The image is entirely dependent on the artist’s control of a sharp tool, the burin, which he would have used to directly incise lines into a copper plate. The depth and density of these lines is what creates the tonal range. This was a highly skilled process, demanding years of experience. Beyond the sheer labor involved, however, the print also speaks to the growing economic power of the Netherlands at this time. The careful depiction of the house and gardens speaks to the owner’s wealth, and also to a broader cultural interest in precise, reproducible images. In fact, prints like this helped to disseminate ideas about architecture and landscape design. They were the Instagram of their day, spreading ideals of beauty and order to a wide audience. As such, the image is a potent record of class and consumption.