Netherlands, Katwijk, Van der Aa, 1729, two large views, Het Huys Sand / 'T Hof van Catwyck

Two large engravings in a rare edition from Pieter Van der Aa's "La Galerie agreable du monde...", depicting two views of locations in Katwijk. Both views are depicted in a printed decorative frame:

1. Het Huys Sand (1729)

Around the year 1200, a modest castle was built on the banks of the Old Rhine, a structure that went down in history as Huijs 't Sant and occupied a prominent place in the Dutch landscape for centuries. This castle stood on the site where the old tollhouse now stands and has served various purposes throughout history. This image shows the ruins as they appeared in the 17th/18th century.

2. 'T Hof van Catwyck (1729)

The Hof van Katwijk on the Overrijn, known today as the Herenhuis (Horsehouse), is a country estate built in Katwijk at the end of the 17th century. In 1694, the Katwijk preacher and historian Adriaan Pars described the country estate with its richly decorated rooms. The rooms bear names like "Tappelin Room" and "The White Hall," and the walls were covered with precious fabrics and gold leather wallpaper.

Paintings with biblical scenes, depicting figures from the Old Testament by members of the Van Wassenaer family, hung there. Incidentally, the country estate was considerably smaller than the Heerenhuis as we know it today. Many expansions were added over the centuries.

This country estate is still largely intact and is best known today as De Wilbert, with the Heerenhuis as the country estate and the Heerenschoolbos (Heer School Woods) as an accompanying pleasure garden. The country house was built on the Overrijn, and the gardens behind it were neatly symmetrically laid out in the Dutch Classicist style that was all the rage at the time. Later, the gardens were expanded and adapted to a style that became fashionable around 1800: the English landscape garden. None other than the renowned landscape architect Johan David Zocher Sr. was in charge of this project.

Published in the highly ambitious project "La Galerie agreable du monde...", which was intended to comprise 66 volumes but was never completed. Only approximately 100 copies were printed.

Very good condition

Image 23x39cm, pages 36.5x46cm

Total items: 2