Gezicht op de fonteinen van een tuin van de koning van Spanje 18th century

This print, made by Basset in the late 18th or early 19th century, offers a meticulously rendered view of the fountains within a Spanish royal garden. The image evokes the power and status of the Spanish monarchy through its illustration of their expansive, ornamented gardens. The artist employs a formal, symmetrical composition, reinforcing the sense of order and control emblematic of royal authority. Spain's colonial wealth, extracted from the Americas, allowed for such extravagant displays of landscaping. The garden, therefore, becomes a stage for the performance of royal power, a visual expression of dominance over both nature and society. As art historians, we look beyond the aesthetic surface, researching the economic and political conditions that made such images possible. We can ask, how did the Spanish monarchy use images like these to project an image of power? And what was the experience of those excluded from this carefully constructed paradise?