Description:
Landscape; Castle with moat, surrounded by trees; small group of figures in lower left corner
Label Text:
In addition to making his own printed images, Claes Visscher was an important publisher of prints, maps, and topographical views during the first half of the seventeenth century.
T’Slot te Muyden (otherwise known as the Muiderslot or Muiden Castle) is one of the better known castles in the Netherlands, built at the mouth of the river Vecht, a key route to the vital port of Utrecht. Castles like the Muiderslot were used by nobles during medieval times to defend territory, and after the consolidation of the Burgundian Empire in the fifteenth century were converted to lodging for wealthy government officials or private citizens. Whatever their use, castles were symbols of power and prestige, as well as distinctive markers in the local landscape.
During the time this print was made, The Muiderslot was owned by P. C. Hooft (1581-1647), a famous historian, poet, and playwright who had become the sheriff and bailiff for the area. The Muiderslot is now a museum, featuring restored seventeenth-century interiors and a collection of arms and armor.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1976.17.4 |
