Twee mannen in landschap 1842

Charles Rochussen made this pencil drawing, Two Men in a Landscape, at an unknown date. The central image depicts two men standing in a field, but what’s really interesting is how Rochussen frames it. Let's look at how the image creates meaning. The central image depicts two men dressed in what would have been old-fashioned garb for Rochussen’s time. The drawing has a theatrical quality; it seems to recall stage plays from the Dutch Golden Age. The elaborate borders depict craftspeople at work, so we can see the main image as a kind of play within a play, emphasizing the importance of the arts. Rochussen lived through a time of great social change in the Netherlands, as industrialization transformed the landscape of the country, so in this drawing, is he thinking nostalgically about the pre-industrial era? As historians, to better understand Rochussen’s world, we might consult the records of theatre productions, read period literature, or study the economic history of the Netherlands. Art like this one depends on its cultural context, and is enriched by historical knowledge.