Landgoed Clingendael in vogelvlucht vanuit het oosten naar het westen gezien 1682 - 1726

Daniël Stopendaal created this print of Landgoed Clingendael in the Netherlands sometime around the early 18th century using etching. What you're seeing is an idealized view of the estate, likely commissioned by its owner. The rigid geometry of the gardens reflects the Dutch obsession with order and control during the Golden Age. Note the sharp lines of the hedges, the symmetrical arrangement of the flowerbeds, and the statues placed at regular intervals. These elements speak to the wealth and power of the Dutch elite, who sought to impose their will on nature itself. Such gardens were status symbols, statements of dominance and sophistication in a society undergoing rapid commercial expansion. The image also subtly comments on the social hierarchy, with the family in the foreground acting almost like spectators of their own grandeur. To understand this work fully, it helps to consult estate records, family histories, and even garden design manuals of the period. Only then can we begin to grasp its complex layers of meaning.