Gezicht op een boerderij aan het water 1832 - 1897

Willem Roelofs made this etching of a farm on the water sometime in the 19th century. It’s a pastoral scene, seemingly without much of a story to tell, but these apparently simple images can actually tell us a great deal about the cultural and economic life of the Netherlands at this time. Notice how the artist chooses to frame the landscape. The scene has a sense of peace and calm, of nature undisturbed. But this is also a picture of land that has been very carefully managed. By the 19th century, the Netherlands had developed sophisticated systems for draining and managing water. The etching testifies to the importance of agriculture in Dutch society and the close relationship between the Dutch and their landscape. Historical records can tell us more about land use and agricultural practices during Roelofs’ lifetime and reveal how artists responded to the rapidly changing conditions of the 19th century.