Orangerie van Kasteel Gunterstein, Breukelen 1680 - 1696

Joseph Mulder created this engraving of the Orangerie of Castle Gunterstein in Breukelen in the Netherlands. The image gives us a glimpse into the world of the Dutch elite and the social codes and cultural references of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The architecture and landscape design are highly formal. The rows of potted plants inside the Orangerie speak to a culture of wealth and leisure. Note the figures strolling in the garden, suggesting a scene of cultivated sociability. This aesthetic of order reflects the broader social structure of the time. It's self-consciously projecting an image of control and cultivation, not just of nature but of society itself. To understand such an image, we can examine estate records, architectural plans, and social histories of the Dutch Golden Age. Art is always contingent on social and institutional contexts.