Gezicht op Kasteel Leeuwenborgh c. 1846 - 1882

Cornelis Springer made this pen and brown ink drawing of Kasteel Leeuwenborgh in the 19th century. Springer specialized in townscapes, often romanticized with imagined historical elements. This sketch offers a glimpse into the cultural reverence for historical architecture in the Netherlands during a period of national self-discovery. The Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century was a time when national identity and pride were increasingly expressed through art and architecture. This drawing of the Kasteel Leeuwenborgh, likely made en plein air, exemplifies the 19th-century art world's focus on preserving and celebrating the nation's architectural heritage. To understand Springer’s work better, one might explore archives of architectural drawings, travelogues of the period, and studies of Dutch nationalism in art. The interpretation of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.