Gezicht op kasteel de Wildt 1745 - 1792

Hendrik Spilman made this print of Gezicht op kasteel de Wildt in the Netherlands sometime in the 1700s, using etching and engraving. This country was enjoying its Golden Age and it had a deeply rooted tradition of landscape art. Spilman’s detailed rendering of this castle connects to a wider cultural interest in mapping and documenting the Dutch landscape. Prints like this one served as a kind of visual inventory, reflecting the pride in Dutch territory and its built environment. This print also offered a way for people to experience places they might not be able to visit themselves, helping to shape a shared sense of national identity. As art historians, we might dig into estate records, local histories, and other visual sources to reconstruct the cultural and social history of this and similar buildings. Artworks such as this are invaluable resources for exploring ideas about nationhood, property and history in the Dutch Golden Age.