Wilg voor een boerderij op de linkeroever van een rivier 1865 - 1910

Louis Adolphe Jacobs made this etching, titled 'Willow by a Farm on the Left Bank of a River' with the etching technique, meaning it was created by using acid to cut into a metal plate. Made in the Netherlands, around the turn of the century, this unassuming image of a rural scene speaks to the complex relationship between the Dutch people and their landscape. In the later 19th century, we see an increasing interest in rural landscapes, and there is a nostalgia for simpler ways of living. One might consider how this image contrasts to the increasing urbanization and industrialization of the Netherlands during this time. The Rijksmuseum collection database would be a good place to start if you wanted to know more about how the art market played a role in popularizing this kind of image. By studying these images, historians like myself can better understand the way that art reflects the values and anxieties of its time.