Peasants Loading Hay 17th century

Hendrick Avercamp, a Dutch artist, made this watercolor and graphite sketch, called "Peasants Loading Hay", sometime before his death in 1634. It depicts rural life, seemingly without any higher meaning. However, the Dutch Golden Age, in which Avercamp worked, was characterized by a new kind of art market. No longer commissioned by church or crown, artworks were bought and sold speculatively for the growing middle class of Dutch cities. Artists made their way in the world by specializing in a marketable subject. Avercamp specialized in winter scenes, but this drawing shows a snapshot of rural life, which was another popular genre. It has been argued that this kind of art reflects the values of the new Dutch Republic, its rejection of aristocratic values, its investment in a strong work ethic, and it's turn away from religious symbolism. We can research the economic structures of the 17th century Netherlands, and the relationship between city and country, to better understand the social forces that gave shape to this seemingly simple image.