Het huis Ter Does bij Leiden, van links gezien 1722 - 1735

Abraham Rademaker created this drawing of ‘Het huis Ter Does bij Leiden, van links gezien’ with pen in brown ink, sometime between 1690 and 1735. Rademaker lived during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of unprecedented economic, scientific, and artistic growth in the Netherlands. His detailed rendering of the moated manor house is more than just a depiction of architecture; it’s a window into the socio-economic landscape of the time. These grand estates were symbols of power and wealth, emblems of a society that had become deeply stratified through global trade. Notice the small boat with figures in the foreground. This detail humanizes the landscape, reminding us that these spaces were not just monuments but also places of work, leisure, and everyday life. By depicting these figures, Rademaker acknowledges the lives that intersect with these structures. The house itself stands as a powerful, silent witness to the passage of time.