Tuin met fantasiearchitectuur, fonteinen en grot 17th century

This is a small, anonymous print titled 'Garden with fantasy architecture, fountains, and a grotto’ located here at the Rijksmuseum. The print gives us insight into the cultural fantasies of the elite. In this period, garden design served as a form of social expression, reflecting one’s status and taste. The architecture is a melange of styles, a testament to a worldliness born of trade and conquest. Look closely and you will notice the figures in the foreground. They are small, but their clothes speak volumes about their social standing. They seem to be enjoying a leisurely stroll, the garden becoming a stage for their display of wealth and power. Does the grotto offer a space of cool refuge? Is it a place for secret meetings or perhaps a stage for private performances? What feelings does this print elicit in you? Does it evoke a sense of longing, belonging, exclusion?