Gezicht in het dorp Schore, op Zuid-Beveland c. 1700 - 1800

This drawing in pen and brown ink depicts a village scene in Schore, in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Though the artist is unknown, the work evokes the social and economic conditions of rural life in the Netherlands. Consider how the artist uses the village architecture to create meaning. These are modest homes, built in a row with very little ornamentation, suggesting a close-knit community of working-class people. Also consider how the artist has depicted the figures in the foreground. They’re anonymous peasants, resting from their labour, their tools left beside them on a simple bench. This image likely reflects a broader cultural interest in the lives of ordinary people. By studying period documents we could place this work within a tradition of Dutch genre painting, or perhaps even in relation to social reform movements. Art like this can serve as a historical record, reflecting the values and concerns of the society in which it was produced.