Straat in Dinant 1840 - 1841

Johannes Tavenraat made this sketch of a street in Dinant, Belgium, using graphite on paper. It depicts what seems like the artist's initial, rapidly drawn impressions of a street scene. As a 19th-century artist, Tavenraat was working within a period of significant social and political change in Europe, with movements towards national identity shaping artistic choices. Sketching en plein air was part of a broader trend that saw artists turning to direct observation as a source of inspiration. The Rijksmuseum's acquisition and preservation of this sketch tells a story of institutional choices in defining a national artistic heritage. More research into the Tavenraat’s involvement in artistic circles and the specific cultural institutions he engaged with would help to understand this work and the public role of art at the time it was made. This sketch’s meaning is deeply embedded in its social and institutional context.