Pad 1959

D. Middelhoek created this etching titled "Pad" which translates to "Toad" in Dutch. The print depicts a toad rendered with a blend of careful outlines and subtle shading. Made in the early 20th century, we might consider this image as a representation of nature, but also as a symbol within a specific cultural context. The Netherlands, with its unique geography and environment, has a rich history of landscape and animal representation in art. Artists often found ways of symbolizing the nation through images of nature. This little toad, therefore, may evoke ideas about the Dutch landscape and how it was understood at that time. To understand the art, we can look to various resources: the artist's biography, the cultural history of the Netherlands, and the institutional context in which the artwork was produced and exhibited. Through this research, we appreciate that an image is contingent on its historical and institutional context.