Roeiboot in een sloot 1854 - 1910

Willem Maris painted 'Rowboat in a Ditch' using oil on canvas. Maris, a part of the Hague School, captured the Dutch landscape with a deep connection to its waterways. The painting evokes a sense of quiet reflection, characteristic of the late 19th-century art scene, where artists explored the relationship between humanity and nature. But who has access to such quietude? Whose labor allows for the leisure suggested by a rowboat idly floating? Maris’s work invites us to consider these questions, revealing not just a landscape, but a complex social space. Maris, along with his contemporaries, shaped a vision of Dutch identity rooted in its landscapes. But it's important to remember that this vision often obscured the lives and labor of many. This painting challenges us to look beyond the surface and reflect on the unseen stories within the landscape.