Gezicht op de oosterzijkant van Huis ten Bosch after 1717

This engraving shows the east side of Huis ten Bosch palace, and was made in the Netherlands at an unknown date by an anonymous artist. The image speaks to the social and political climate of the Dutch Republic, likely sometime in the 18th century, a period marked by both economic prosperity and growing social stratification. Huis ten Bosch, then a royal residence, is presented not merely as a building, but as a symbol of power and prestige, framed within an idealized landscape. The figures in the foreground, possibly servants or courtiers, offer a glimpse into the social hierarchy of the time, with its clear distinctions between the ruling elite and the serving classes. For historians, the print offers insight into the relationship between power, representation, and social identity in the Dutch Republic, as it speaks to the ways in which art served to legitimize and reinforce existing social structures. Studying archival records, architectural plans, and social histories can help us to better understand the social meaning of this engraving, and what it represented to its contemporary audience.