Vaartgezicht met boerderij en liggende schuit 1776 - 1822

Jan Hulswit made this drawing of a canal scene with a farm and a boat using pen in brown and gray ink. Hulswit, working in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, lived in a time when the Netherlands was undergoing significant political and social upheaval, from the Batavian Republic to the Napoleonic Kingdom. The tranquil scene, with its focus on rural life, almost certainly obscures the social and economic realities for many during this period. The detailed rendering of the farm buildings and the boat suggests a connection to the land and waterways. The economy of the Netherlands at the time relied heavily on agriculture and trade. The presence of the boat brings up questions of labor and the lives of those who worked on the canals. The drawing doesn't explicitly address issues of class or social inequality, but it quietly presents a view of Dutch society that invites us to consider who is included and excluded from this pastoral idyll.