Paardenkoets c. 1868s - 1878s

Jan Willem van Borselen made this pencil drawing of a horse-drawn carriage. The Netherlands in the mid-19th century was a society undergoing rapid change. This sketch might seem like a simple, informal study, but it gives us a glimpse into the ways that wealth and status were being negotiated at the time. Carriages, like the one depicted here, were potent symbols of social class. The careful rendering of the vehicle's form suggests an interest in documenting these markers of distinction. Van Borselen was apart of the Hague school, a group of artists who worked in the area around The Hague and shared a common interest in depicting daily life. To fully appreciate this image, we need to understand the prevailing social norms around class and wealth in the Netherlands at that moment in time. Contemporary accounts, newspapers, and other period documents would help us understand the cultural context that gave an image like this its particular resonance.