Boerderij op de Diemerdijk c. 1650 - 1660

Pieter de With created this artwork, Boerderij op de Diemerdijk, with etching. The image shows a very specific cultural landscape of the Netherlands in the 17th century. The low-lying land, the waterways, and the simple architecture of the farmhouse all speak to the unique geography and the resourceful people who have made this land their home. The level of detail in the vegetation may speak to the influence of the scientific revolution on the art world. It's interesting to consider how the social structures of the time might have influenced such a scene. Was de With making a statement about the virtues of rural life, or was he simply capturing a scene that was common in his world? Perhaps he wanted to portray the relationship between people and the land, or maybe he was interested in the economic structures that shaped the lives of farmers. As historians, we can use sources such as agricultural records, social histories, and even literature to further understand the context of such images. By doing so, we can gain a more complete picture of what this artwork meant in its own time, and what it can mean for us today.