Gezicht op de Nes of Realeneiland aan de Vecht 1719

Daniël Stopendaal created this etching of the Nes or Realeneiland on the Vecht. Linear strokes define the scenery, the waterway that dissects the landscape and the buildings. Notice how Stopendaal organizes space in the image: the composition guides our eyes from the detailed foreground figures to the dense trees, symmetrically positioned buildings, and the cloudy sky. Stopendaal uses the lines of the water, the pathway of the island, and the receding structures to create depth. He places the horizon line at the top third of the image, compressing space to focus on the geometric forms of the trees and architecture. The structure of the print draws attention to the human activity and architecture along the water, but also emphasizes the geometric clarity of the scene. In this way, the print uses ordered forms to give shape to the landscape and reflect the human imposition upon it. The image suggests an early modern impulse to systematize and understand the world through structure.