Huis te Bemmel 1731

Abraham de Haen the Younger created this drawing of Huis te Bemmel in the Netherlands at an unknown date. The house is shown in an open landscape with a moat, and is executed in pen and brown ink. Such images were very popular at the time as the Dutch Republic experienced a period of economic growth and social change. Aristocratic families and wealthy merchants sought to display their status through impressive country estates, and artists found a ready market producing images of these properties. The Rijksmuseum collection is a repository of these images. This image of Huis te Bemmel offers us insights into the architecture, landscape design, and social customs of the period. By consulting historical archives and architectural records, we can learn more about the social significance of these buildings and the people who inhabited them. Art history relies on these kinds of resources to bring artworks to life.