Gezicht op de Bommelerwaard uit het Huis te Zuilichem Possibly 1666 - 1667

Constantijn Huygens the Younger rendered this view of the Bommelerwaard from the House at Zuilichem in ink and watercolor. As the secretary to Stadtholder William III, Huygens occupied a privileged position, reflecting the societal hierarchies of the Dutch Golden Age. The artwork offers a glimpse into the landscapes favored by the elite and the labor that sustained them. In the foreground, we see figures, their social standing subtly marked by their attire and activity. Their presence invites us to consider the lives of the working class, whose contributions often go unacknowledged in depictions of pastoral life. While Huygens’s landscapes might seem like objective records, they also reflect a selective view of the world. The artwork is a reminder of the power dynamics inherent in landscape art, and prompts us to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out.