Eendenvijver van Paleis Soestdijk 1725 - 1747

Hendrik de Leth created this print of the duck pond at Soestdijk Palace sometime in the first half of the 18th century. We see here an aspect of the social life of the Dutch elite. During this period, the Dutch Republic was a major economic and cultural power, and Soestdijk Palace was a prominent symbol of wealth and status. The carefully arranged landscape and figures in this image reflect the formal gardens and aristocratic leisure that the palace represented. Duck ponds like this were essentially bird farms, raising fowl for the tables of the rich. So while the image presents an image of refined leisure, we might also see an underlying demonstration of control over the natural world. To truly understand this print, we can look at estate records, period cookbooks, and other images of elite life. These will help us to see how de Leth’s image was part of a larger culture of wealth, power, and representation.