Landschap met figuren bij een brug 1849

Remigius Adrianus Haanen made this landscape with figures by a bridge using etching. Haanen was part of a family of artists who were working during a time of great change. The Netherlands saw the transition from kingdom to constitutional monarchy, and the rise of a bourgeois society. Haanen’s work can be viewed through the lens of this changing social structure. The figures on the bridge and by the houses represent a slice of society, of people making their way through life. There’s a sense of intimacy here, the landscape almost feels like a stage where everyday dramas unfold. In the 19th century, landscape art often served as a reflection of national identity, and this landscape evokes the sense of the Dutch countryside as a space of both work and leisure. It’s neither a romantic ideal nor a gritty portrayal of labor, but something in between, and you can almost feel the calm of the water and the gentle breeze through the trees. It is a quiet moment of life in landscape, reflecting the emotional and personal dimensions of the everyday.