Gezicht op een straat met het oude stadhuis te Oudewater c. 1828 - 1897

This pencil drawing of a street with the old town hall in Oudewater was made by Adrianus Eversen, who was born in 1818 and died in 1897. Eversen lived through a period of great change in the Netherlands. His detailed cityscapes, often romanticized, present a nostalgic view of Dutch urban life. In this sketch, we see the bones of the town hall, devoid of the color and bustling activity that often characterize his paintings. What remains is the architecture itself. Consider how the Dutch Golden Age, with its emphasis on trade and civic life, shaped the architecture of towns like Oudewater. Eversen's drawing captures the enduring presence of these structures, even as society around them evolved. The sketch is a study of form, and also of the enduring legacy of Dutch identity as it is reflected in its urban landscape. It evokes a sense of continuity, reminding us of the layers of history embedded in the places we inhabit.