Scheepstimmerwerf met een kerk op de achtergrond 1848

Jean Théodore Joseph Linnig created this print of a shipyard with a church in the background, using etching. During Linnig's lifetime, the divide between the powerful church and the common person was very visible. In this work we see both: the church and the shipyard. It is interesting to see how the artist positions both of these very important components of society together. Linnig gives us a glimpse into the economic activities that supported communities, with the church quietly overseeing them. The labor of ship-building, often a family affair, intertwines with the spiritual life dictated by the church. Consider the individuals involved in ship-building. What were their aspirations? How did their work and faith intersect? Linnig captures the quiet dignity of labor against the backdrop of institutional authority. The artwork shows the tensions between everyday life and established structures.