Figuren bij een stadspoort 1728 - 1789

Jacob Hoolaart made this tiny etching of figures by a city gate sometime in the 18th century. What was the public role of art in the Netherlands at this time? Here, Hoolaart’s subject is not the wealthy merchant or the prosperous home, but rather the fortification that would have protected those symbols of Dutch success. We see a city gate, figures on horseback passing through, and the suggestion of buildings inside. The image creates meaning through historical association, referencing the Golden Age of the Netherlands. The geography of the Netherlands as a coastal lowland also influenced the artwork. The social conditions that shape the production of art meant the Dutch needed military defenses like those we see represented here to protect their borders and trade routes. Studying historical maps and military records helps us understand the true meaning of this artwork as something that is contingent on social and institutional context.