Landschap met een roeiboot 1776 - 1822

Jan Hulswit created this landscape with a rowing boat using pen and brush in grey ink. Hulswit was active during a time of significant political and social upheaval in the Netherlands, marked by the Batavian Revolution and subsequent French influence. The detailed rendering of a traditional Dutch landscape, complete with a windmill and waterways, speaks to themes of national identity and connection to the land during a period of foreign occupation. There's a palpable sense of longing for simpler times, a quiet rural life perhaps untouched by the sweeping changes of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The presence of the rowing boat adds a layer of personal narrative; it suggests human interaction with this landscape. It evokes an emotional connection to the local, to the everyday lives of people tied to this land. Hulswit’s work invites us to reflect on how national identity is constructed and maintained through art, especially during periods of change. The image serves as both a snapshot of a specific time and place, and a reminder of the enduring power of landscape to evoke feeling.