Boerenwoning 1630 - 1670

Cornelis Gerritsz Decker made this drawing of a ‘Boerenwoning’, or farmhouse, using pen in grey-brown ink with a grey wash sometime in the 17th century. Decker, working in Haarlem, provides us with a window into the economic and social stratification of the Dutch Golden Age, through a focus on rural, working-class life. While the Dutch Republic prospered through trade and innovation, a significant portion of its population lived in agricultural settings, often in conditions far removed from urban affluence. Note the figure peering out of the window: the gaze connects us to the intimate, personal space of the boerenwoning. Drawings like this invite reflection on whose stories are deemed worthy of representation, and how art can serve as a means of acknowledging the diverse experiences of a society. Decker’s boerenwoning prompts us to consider the relationship between our contemporary experience and the historical narratives of labor, land, and identity that continue to shape our world.