Figuur bij boerenschuur c. 1745 - 1785

Anthonij van der Haer created this etching, "Figuur bij boerenschuur," which translates to "Figure at a Farm Barn," in the 18th century. Van der Haer was working during a time when the Dutch countryside was often romanticized, yet simultaneously, rural life was fraught with economic hardship. This contrast is palpable in the image. We see a rustic barn, likely essential for farming, yet the figure near it seems small and perhaps burdened. What does it mean to see this person dwarfed by the landscape and the demands of agricultural life? It speaks to the identities of the working class, their connection to the land, and the economic realities that shaped their lives. There's a quiet tension in the piece, a sense of the everyday struggle inherent in rural life. It invites us to reflect on how labor, landscape, and identity intersect, and on the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.