Twee jongens bij de vloedlijn 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve sketched these two boys by the waterline with a pencil on paper. The Netherlands, in the nineteenth century, was experiencing significant social changes. Mauve’s sketch subtly captures the shifting dynamics of childhood and leisure. The quick strokes suggest a candid moment, hinting at the growing importance of observing everyday life, a theme embraced by the Hague School, of which Mauve was a leading member. The beach setting, a space of recreation, reflects changing social attitudes towards leisure and the accessibility of nature to the middle class. To understand this work fully, we might research the socio-economic conditions of the Netherlands at the time. Archival material from art schools, exhibition records, and even literature from the period can provide insights into the cultural values that shaped Mauve’s artistic vision and the public’s reception of such scenes. Art, after all, is always embedded in its time.