Landscape 1616 - 1656

This landscape in pen and brown ink and watercolor was made by Jan van Goyen in the Netherlands. Van Goyen was one of the most important and prolific landscape painters of the Dutch Golden Age, a period when the Netherlands was a major economic and cultural power. At this time, there was also a growth of the merchant class, who had money to spend on art. Dutch landscape paintings became popular as they reflected the national pride, commercial interests, and a sense of ownership of the land. This drawing’s quiet and serene view of the Dutch countryside speaks to that sense of ownership. We can research archival materials, such as estate documents, financial records, and ships’ manifests to learn more about the rise of landscape painting at this time, and how the market shaped its production. The history of art is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it is made.