Figuren bij een platte schuit 1878

Johannes Hilverdink made this pencil drawing, "Figures by a Flat Boat," in the Netherlands sometime in the 19th century. It’s a simple scene: a group of figures gathered by a boat on a shore, with a suggestion of industry on the horizon. The Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century saw an explosion of genre painting and landscape art, often focused on daily life and the nation’s waterways. By the 19th century, the Netherlands was deeply involved in global trade and colonialism. So a seemingly simple image of a boat takes on a new level of meaning when we remember the nation’s global reach. To understand this image better, we can look at the shipping industry, at Dutch trade during this period, and at the effects of global capitalism on the culture of the Netherlands. Art is never made in a vacuum, and by understanding the conditions of its creation, we can better understand its meanings.