Gezicht vanuit de colonnade op de tuin van Huis ter Meer te Maarssen c. 1740

Hendrik de Leth created this print of the garden of Huis ter Meer in Maarssen in the eighteenth-century Netherlands, using etching and engraving. Depicting a wealthy family strolling through manicured gardens, this image speaks to the social structures of its time. Gardens like this were status symbols, declaring wealth and control over nature. De Leth's print celebrates this control, emphasizing the geometric precision with which nature is organized. Looking at the clothing of the figures can tell us more about the ways that social class was performed in public. The image also raises questions about art's public role. Was it simply to celebrate the status quo, or could it offer a critique? Prints like this circulated widely, so understanding their reception becomes crucial. Through archival research of sales records, personal letters, and other historical documents, we can develop a deeper understanding of art's place in eighteenth-century Dutch society.