Twee kinderen en een hond op een landweg 1833 - 1863

Johannes Christiaan d' Arnaud Gerkens created this print of two children and a dog on a country road in the mid-19th century in the Netherlands. We see a slice of Dutch rural life: two children pause by a weathered wooden structure covered in notices, while their dog sniffs the ground nearby. In the background, a windmill stands as a symbol of the Dutch landscape. The image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references. Consider how this seemingly simple scene might reflect the social conditions of its time. Were these children from a land-owning family, or were they of more humble origins? The notices on the board also offer insight into the flow of information and the concerns of the local community. Understanding this artwork requires us to delve into the social and institutional context of the Netherlands during the 1800s. Old newspapers and journals of the time, along with local archives, might reveal more about the lives of ordinary people and their relationship to the landscape around them.