View of a Windmill 1700 - 1800

This is P. Benoist's "View of a Windmill", etched some time in the 17th century. The windmill, a new technology that appeared in Europe during the Middle Ages, was a progressive symbol of its age, marking a shift in the continent’s economic and social landscape. It suggests the growing importance of industry within the natural landscape. Benoist depicts this subject within an established artistic tradition of landscape art. The church in the distance is also key. The artist shows us the historical tension of Europe, as it progressed technologically but remained steeped in religious traditions. As historians, we can research images such as this to understand not only the state of technology in the 17th century, but the way the public regarded the changing landscape around them.