View of Rouen c. 1870 - 1872

Matthijs Maris sketched this View of Rouen in pencil. It offers a dream-like interpretation of the French city. Rouen, known for its Gothic architecture and historical significance, appears here as a spectral vision, shrouded in a hazy atmosphere. What does this ethereal rendering tell us about the social function of art in the late 19th century? Maris was Dutch, but he spent a substantial amount of time in Paris, joining a community of artists. The Hague School Maris belonged to emphasized mood and atmosphere, influenced by the social realism of the Barbizon School. Yet here we see something different. Rather than engaging with contemporary life, the artist retreated into a romanticized past. The soft focus and muted tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, perhaps reflecting a longing for a simpler, pre-industrial world. To fully understand this work, we would need to look more closely at the artist's biography and the cultural context in which he was working. Art history reminds us that art is never created in a vacuum.