Overblijfselen van de Veerpoort te Heukelom 1737 - 1779

Pieter Jan van Liender made this drawing of the Remains of the Veerpoort in Heukelom with pen and gray ink and gray wash. Produced in the Dutch Republic, it evokes the area's economic and social life. The Veerpoort, or ferry gate, stands as a reminder of past trade and transit, a crucial element in the economic structure of the time. We see people and horse-drawn cart using the road alongside it. The tower could have been commissioned by the church which would have been an important institution at the time. Was this artwork a critique of Dutch society? Perhaps it was meant to be a celebration of it. These are the kinds of questions we must ask when we consider institutional and social history. Researching town records, church documents, and trade statistics of the Dutch Republic during this period, can reveal the complex relationships between economic activities, social hierarchies, and artistic expression.