Gezicht op de tuin met vijver van de buitenplaats Driemond 1790

Daniël Stopendaal created this print, titled 'Gezicht op de tuin met vijver van de buitenplaats Driemond', sometime around the late 17th to early 18th century. The formal garden, depicted with precision, was a symbol of power and control in the Dutch Golden Age. The estate belonged to a wealthy merchant, likely profiting from global trade and colonial exploitation. This context is critical, as these lavish displays of wealth were often built on the backs of enslaved people and exploited resources. How might the manicured landscape mask a more brutal reality? The print invites us to reflect on the relationship between wealth, power, and representation. Stopendaal's detailed rendering, while seemingly objective, participates in constructing an image of idyllic luxury, subtly obscuring the social and economic forces that made such a lifestyle possible.