Landschappen c. 1846 - 1851

Willem Roelofs made this graphite sketch in the Netherlands, though the date is unknown. Roelofs was central to the Hague School, a group of Dutch landscape painters who insisted on working 'en plein air' - directly from nature. The sketches in this booklet are dated November 19 and 20, suggesting they were completed during the colder months. Roelofs and his contemporaries sought to depict the authentic and often harsh realities of the Dutch landscape, embracing its moody atmosphere. The Hague School emerged during a period of significant social and political change in the Netherlands. The country was undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization, which had a profound impact on the landscape and the lives of ordinary people. These artists saw themselves as responding to those developments. To better understand the artistic and social context we can look through exhibition reviews and the letters between artists of the period. The history of art reminds us that meaning is always dependent on conditions of time and place.