View of Houses outside Bergen op Zoom c. 1671 - 1672

Valentijn Klotz created this drawing, "View of Houses outside Bergen op Zoom," with pen in brown and gray ink on laid paper. Klotz lived during a tumultuous period for the Dutch Republic, experiencing both its Golden Age and subsequent conflicts. This drawing offers a glimpse into the rural landscapes of the era. The houses, with their simple construction and thatched roofs, tell a story of everyday life. They speak to the socio-economic structures of the time, reflecting the lives of the working class. Consider how the fences act as both physical and symbolic boundaries, delineating space and perhaps hinting at the social divisions within the community. In Klotz's landscapes, we find echoes of the complex negotiations between nature and culture, between individual experience and collective identity. The scene invites us to reflect on our own relationship to place, memory, and belonging.