Strandgezicht: de maand december en het seizoen winter 1623 - 1653

Pieter Nolpe made this print, ‘Strandgezicht: de maand december en het seizoen winter’, in the Netherlands, sometime in the 17th century. In it, we see a beach scene dominated by gathering clouds and a group of figures clustered around a small boat. The print offers insight into the harsh realities of life for ordinary people in the Dutch Golden Age. The image creates meaning through several visual codes that would have been clear to contemporary viewers. The bleak weather and the bare trees evoke a sense of hardship. The figures on the beach appear to be engaged in labor, perhaps unloading cargo from the boat. The presence of the boat itself speaks to the importance of maritime trade for the Dutch economy at this time. Prints like this, held in the Rijksmuseum today, are valuable historical documents, telling us much about the lived experience of the 17th century. More information can be gleaned from studies of trade, weather patterns and Dutch visual culture.