Zwanenfontein in de tuin van de Villa d'Este te Tivoli Possibly 1670 - 1717

This is Pieter Schenk’s print of the Swan Fountain in the garden of the Villa d’Este in Tivoli, made around the turn of the 18th century. Schenk, an engraver and print seller, straddled the Dutch Republic and Germany, a liminal position that mirrors the way gardens themselves acted as spaces between the built environment and nature. Here, Schenk invites us into the exclusive world of aristocratic leisure. We see the Villa d’Este’s garden not just as a place of beauty, but as a stage where social class is performed. The clothing and deportment of the figures suggest a society deeply stratified by wealth and status. The fountain, an elaborate display of wealth and artistry, becomes a backdrop for the rituals of the elite, reinforcing the exclusivity and privilege that defined their world. Consider how the garden, a controlled version of nature, mirrors the social controls of the time. It’s a powerful reminder of how landscapes are never neutral, but are always shaped by power, culture, and identity.