Besneeuwde straat 1894

Siebe Johannes ten Cate made this drawing, titled 'Besneeuwde straat', with pencil on paper. This Dutch street scene presents us with an image of a place transformed by snow. We can see the way snow changes the look of the built environment, softening its edges. But the drawing may also say something about the artist's attitude to modernity. We could ask, what does it mean to turn away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and find beauty in the quiet emptiness of a snow-covered street? Is this an implicit critique of the rapid social change that was going on in Europe at the time? To answer these questions, it can be helpful to consult historical documents, and to analyze how frequently these kinds of images appeared at particular moments in time. The meaning of an artwork is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was made.