Vlak landschap met een huis met rokende schoorsteen 1841 - 1853

This is an undated graphite drawing titled "Vlak landschap met een huis met rokende schoorsteen," or "Flat Landscape with a House with Smoking Chimney," by Johannes Tavenraat. Drawn in the first half of the 19th century, this work gives us insight into the Netherlands during a period of immense social and economic change. The flat landscape, punctuated by a modest house with a smoking chimney, evokes a sense of rural life that was on the cusp of transformation. Tavenraat's sketch captures a moment where the industrial and the pastoral intersect. The smoking chimney, a clear sign of industrial activity, contrasts with the vast, open landscape, inviting us to consider the relationship between industrial progress and its impact on the land and its people. It prompts us to reflect on how progress and place shape identity.