Gezicht op de stad Ariccia 1708 - 1756

Martin Engelbrecht created this print titled 'Gezicht op de stad Ariccia,' depicting a town in Italy. Engelbrecht was working during a period of significant social stratification in Europe, where class dictated much of life and its opportunities. Looking closely, you'll notice figures who seem to be travelers or locals going about their day. Consider how this landscape, seemingly bucolic, might have different meanings depending on one's position in society. For the wealthy, it might represent leisure and the picturesque, while for the working class, it was perhaps merely the backdrop of daily labor. Engelbrecht's print invites us to think about the varied experiences within the Italian landscape and prompts us to consider how class shapes our interactions with the world around us. The artwork encapsulates the personal and societal contexts, which, even today, influence our relationship with place and identity.