Gezicht op Workum 1702 - 1767

Jacob Folkema created this print called 'View of Workum', using etching and engraving during the height of the Dutch Golden Age, a time when the Netherlands was a global leader in trade, science, and art. At first glance, it's a pastoral scene, yet it's so much more. The detailed depiction of the landscape, with farmers harvesting crops, situates the working class, and the land itself, as central to the prosperity of the Netherlands. Look closer, though, and you will notice that Folkema’s artistic choices weren’t just about documentation, but about constructing a particular image of Dutch identity. This image promotes the idea of a well-ordered society, where labor and land are harmoniously connected. In this context, the presence of laborers in the fields is not merely incidental but a statement about the value of hard work and the Dutch connection to the land. There’s a story being told here about who belongs and who is invested in the nation’s success. How does this idealized image of labor and identity resonate with the complex realities of the time?