Rivierlandschap met molens 1866

Johannes Tavenraat made this drawing, "River Landscape with Mills," using pen in brown ink on paper. This sketch gives us insight into the visual culture of the Netherlands at the time. The presence of windmills is no accident; they were a defining feature of the Dutch landscape and economy, symbols of industry but also of a specific national identity. Tavenraat was working at a time when Dutch art institutions were consolidating, and artists were encouraged to celebrate the local landscape as a source of national pride. Here, the artist is seemingly working en plein air, sketching the landscape with quick, economic lines, and perhaps this suggests the increasing importance of direct observation in art training. To understand the context of this artwork, we might research Dutch landscape painting, the history of Dutch windmills, and the development of art academies during the 19th century. Understanding this institutional and historical background illuminates the meaning of this simple sketch.