Kasteel Cannenburg te Vaassen 1837 - 1903

Jan Striening made this pencil drawing of Kasteel Cannenburg in Vaassen, Netherlands, sometime during his career. Castles, of course, are a legacy of feudal social structures. They combine the functions of a home and a fortress. By Striening's time, the feudal era was long over, but castles still stood as symbols of a particular history. Striening’s detailed architectural rendering creates meaning through cultural references and historical associations. The castle in its landscape can be seen as a comment on the social structures of its own time. The economic structures and political movements of 19th century Netherlands are what allowed Striening the freedom to depict the castle this way, as a heritage site and tourist destination. The interpretation of art is contingent on social and institutional context. We can continue to study the history of Dutch tourism, as well as the patronage history of Striening's work, to understand it even better.