Tafels en stoelen op een door een balustrade omheind terras 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this sketch of tables and chairs on a terrace in the Netherlands using graphite. Mauve’s casual depiction of outdoor furniture suggests a society undergoing a transformation, as the rising middle class embraced leisure and the commodification of everyday life. The image creates meaning through its informal composition. It emphasizes the social codes and class aspirations of the time. As a historian, I look to cultural references and the history of Dutch society to understand this piece. Examining the social and economic structures of the Netherlands in the late 19th century, alongside the institutional history of Dutch art, is essential. This helps us understand if the artwork comments on the social structures of its time, and whether it is self-consciously conservative or progressive, or if it critiques the institutions of art.