Landschap met herders en vee, met op de achtergrond twee huizen 1799 - 1869

Jan van Ravenswaay made this drawing, Landscape with Herders and Cattle, with two houses in the background, using pen in brown and gray ink, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Ravenswaay lived during a time of significant social and economic change in the Netherlands, as the country transitioned from an agrarian society to a more industrialized one. The role of women and the working class were being intensely renegotiated. His landscapes often reflect a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, rural past. Looking at the figures, one can sense a longing for an idealized vision of country life. The solitary figure, presumably male, is dwarfed by the landscape, emphasizing the relationship between humanity and nature. Ravenswaay seems to be holding onto the traditions, even as society evolves around him. This drawing invites us to consider the ways in which representations of the landscape can reflect societal values and anxieties during times of change.