Gezicht op Leusden 1742 - 1784

Hendrik Spilman created this print called ‘Gezicht op Leusden,’ or ‘View of Leusden,’ with etching around the mid-18th century. Spilman, born in Amsterdam, provides us here with a window into the Dutch countryside of his time, one where agriculture and community were closely knit. But consider, whose view are we really seeing? Landscape art was often commissioned by the wealthy. It was part of a larger cultural project that romanticized rural life, even as the economic realities for the peasant class were often harsh. This image prompts us to consider the labor, class distinctions, and societal norms embedded within seemingly bucolic scenes. The solitary figures hint at lives deeply connected to the land. How might their stories challenge or complicate the dominant narratives of the time?