Figuur bij een huis in de duinen c. 1873

Johannes Bosboom made this drawing of a house in the dunes with pencil on paper. Through his choice of subject matter, Bosboom connects to a wider cultural interest of 19th century Holland in rural life. We can see how the image creates meaning through its visual codes. The cultural reference to the Dutch landscape, and the historical association with traditional architecture. Bosboom lived during a time of rapid urbanization and industrialization in the Netherlands. Rural life and the people who lived it were beginning to be seen through a romantic lens. Bosboom's art was considered progressive, and he critiqued the institutions of art by showing a new subject matter. The social conditions shaped by economic and political change in the Netherlands also influenced the art. To understand this art better, one could research the artistic and cultural movements of 19th century Holland, looking at how other Dutch artists of the time depicted rural life.