Tekenaars in een duinlandschap 1814 - 1817

This etching, “Draughtsmen in a Dune Landscape,” was made by Jacob Ernst Marcus in July 1814. In it, we see two men sketching in the dunes, while other figures with baskets on their backs trudge along a path. The Netherlands in the early 19th century was a society undergoing significant change, still feeling the aftershocks of the Napoleonic Wars. Here, Marcus seems to be exploring the relationship between the cultivated eye and the natural world. The presence of the draughtsmen suggests an interest in cataloging and understanding the landscape through art. But it may also be about the rise of leisure and artistic pursuits among the middle classes. The figures carrying baskets remind us of the working population whose labor made such leisure possible. To fully understand Marcus' work, we can look at the history of Dutch landscape art, the social conditions of the time, and the institutions that supported artistic production. By doing so, we can better understand the complex relationship between art and society.