Heuvellandschap met figuren en bebouwing 1866 - 1922

Willem Cornelis Rip created this landscape drawing, "Heuvellandschap met figuren en bebouwing", using graphite on paper. Rip was active during a period characterized by significant social and economic shifts in the Netherlands, including industrialization and urbanization, which spurred interest in rural life and national identity. The landscape here is a depiction of an ideal or nostalgia for rural simplicity. The figures in the foreground are not individualized, their integration into the landscape normalizes a relationship between people and the land. Are the figures romanticized? Are they shown realistically? The subdued tones of the graphite drawing create an intimate viewing experience, and invite contemplation on the relationship between the land, its people, and the social changes of Rip's time.