Poort van de orangerie bij Kasteel Gunterstein, Breukelen 1680 - 1696

Joseph Mulder created this print of the gate of the orangery at Kasteel Gunterstein in Breukelen, sometime around the turn of the 18th century. It offers us a glimpse into the architecture and social life of the Dutch elite during the period known as the Dutch Golden Age. Note the figures in the print – they’re not merely incidental. They embody the values and norms of the time, illustrating the rigid social hierarchy of the Dutch Republic. The architecture itself becomes a stage for performing gender and class. Think about how the formal gardens and meticulously designed structures reflect a desire for control and order. The print provides a sanitized view of leisure, obscuring the labor and resources required to maintain such a lifestyle. It speaks volumes about the power dynamics inherent in the creation and consumption of art. The world it depicts is cultivated, controlled, and decidedly exclusionary.