Marine met rechts twee vissersboten, op de achtergrond een tweemaster 1797 - 1838

Johannes Christiaan Schotel made this wash drawing of two fishing boats with a larger sailing ship in the background during the first half of the 19th century. The Netherlands had a rich maritime history, and seascape painting was a popular genre. But it also served specific functions in Dutch society. The sea was central to the country’s economic prosperity through trade and fishing, but it also represented a constant threat, with floods being a regular occurrence. Seascapes thus came to symbolize not only national pride, but also the ongoing struggle of the Dutch people to manage their environment. Drawings like this one, now preserved in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, served as studies for larger paintings, but they also circulated among collectors as works of art in their own right. Understanding the historical context of an artwork like this requires consulting a range of sources. We can analyze paintings, drawings, and prints, but also maps, literature, and archival documents. This helps us understand the complex ways in which images reflect the values and beliefs of a particular society.