Toernooispel te Haarlem, illustratie van episode uit De Roos van Dekama 1824 - 1894

Charles Rochussen made this illustration of a tournament in Haarlem using pen and brown ink, with brush and gray wash. Rochussen wasn’t just any artist – he was one of the great illustrators of 19th-century Holland. The sepia tones and the graphic quality create a sense of dynamism in the jousting scene, a moment plucked from "De Roos van Dekama," reflecting a contemporary interest in the medieval period. This was a time when the Industrial Revolution was transforming society and art, and artists looked back to pre-industrial times for inspiration, where craft skills were still valued. Illustrations like these, while seemingly straightforward, depended on a whole network of labor to reach a wide audience, from the penmanship of the artist to the printing presses that churned out books. In understanding Rochussen's choices, we can appreciate how traditional artistic skills adapt to modern production, bridging the divide between fine art and the crafts essential to popular culture.