Open plek in het Haagse Bos 1637 - 1692

Roelant Roghman created this etching, titled "Open plek in het Haagse Bos", in the Netherlands, sometime in the mid-17th century. It depicts a clearing in the Haagse Bos, or The Hague Forest, a public park that was once a hunting ground for Dutch nobility. At the time, the Dutch Republic was experiencing a period of economic prosperity and cultural flourishing known as the Golden Age. Artists like Roghman found patronage among the wealthy merchant class, who commissioned works celebrating the natural beauty and prosperity of the Dutch landscape. Roghman's print captures the serene atmosphere of the Haagse Bos. The careful arrangement of trees, open spaces, and grazing cattle creates a sense of harmony and order, reflecting the values of Dutch society at the time. Art historians consult period maps, estate records, and social histories to fully understand the cultural and historical context that shaped Roghman’s artistic vision. This image shows us how Dutch art served to legitimize the social and institutional structures of its time.