Gezicht op een buitenplaats aan de Vecht tussen Maarssen en Breukelen, met trekschuit 1758 - 1815

This serene river view was made by Nicolaas Wicart, likely in the late 18th century, using pen and brush in grey ink. The scene is delicately rendered, but I’m especially drawn to the material and process that define it. The relatively humble materials – paper and ink – stand in contrast to the affluence depicted. The leisure of the estate's inhabitants is enabled by a whole system of labor, from the construction of their buildings to the maintenance of the waterways. Look closely at the “trekschuit,” or tow-boat. It’s being pulled along the Vecht river, most likely by someone on horseback. This was a common mode of transport in the Netherlands at the time, a kind of public transit. Wicart's choice of media also speaks to a wider context. The restrained tonality is typical of the period, when drawing was understood as a refined pursuit, but also as a means of documenting the world. It’s a reminder that even seemingly straightforward depictions can reflect complex social and economic realities. It’s through the very act of making, and the materials used, that these realities come into view.