Roeiers c. 1966

Aat Verhoog created this print titled 'Roeiers' – or 'Rowers' – using screen printing. In it, a man and woman are rowing on a calm lake. The choice of subject reflects a wider cultural interest in leisure and the outdoors. Prints like this one democratized art, making it accessible to a broader public beyond the traditional elite. Verhoog was part of a generation of Dutch artists who came of age in the post-war period. After 1945, artists grappled with questions of national identity, and with how art could contribute to the reconstruction of society. The Dutch state fostered art education through institutions like the Rijksakademie. Looking at artists' training, exhibition histories, and critical reception can help us understand their contribution to the nation's cultural life.