Landschap met in de verte een landhuis 1605 - 1673

Lucas van Uden created this landscape with a country house in the distance as an etching sometime in the 17th century. The scene depicts rolling fields and a grand estate, a kind of bird's-eye view over a picturesque landscape. The image presents a scene of rural life in the Netherlands. The low horizon line and expansive sky are characteristic of Dutch landscape painting, a genre that rose to prominence during the Dutch Golden Age. This aesthetic was often closely tied to national identity and pride in the Dutch countryside. In the foreground, figures tend to sheep, suggesting a pastoral idyll. At the same time, the prominent display of the country house reminds us of the economic and social hierarchies that shaped this world. This was a period of increasing urban expansion and wealth accumulation among merchant classes. To fully appreciate this etching, research into the social and economic conditions of the 17th-century Netherlands might be necessary. Examining period documents, such as estate records and trade statistics, would shed light on the society that produced, and consumed, images like this one.