Gezicht op de hofstede Arnestein buiten Middelburg, 1743 1754 - 1792

Hendrik Spilman created this print of the Arnestein estate outside of Middelburg in 1743. The estate is neatly enclosed by water, which would have provided both aesthetic pleasure and a degree of protection. The image presents us with an idealized vision of rural life in the Netherlands during the 18th century. We see here an attempt to represent the social hierarchy of the time, with the wealthy landowners enjoying their privileged position. We can tell by the visual codes of the carefully maintained gardens, the architecture of the main house, and the bridge that allows transit, albeit supervised. Estates such as Arnestein played an important economic role in the region, so local archives might reveal something about this relationship. It is worth considering the public role of such images and the politics of displaying wealth. The image invites us to reflect on the social conditions that shaped the artwork.