Rembrandts molen te Koukerk 1849

Pierre Louis Dubourcq made this etching, Rembrandts molen te Koukerk, sometime in the mid-19th century. This was a period when the Dutch identity was being re-examined and re-imagined through art, as artists sought to capture what they thought of as quintessential Dutch scenes and culture. What is striking is that Dubourcq chooses to represent the landscape by referencing Rembrandt. This windmill, known as the 'Rijnzicht' or 'View of the Rhine', was a popular subject for artists, including Rembrandt, who depicted it nearly two centuries earlier. Dubourcq’s decision to invoke Rembrandt places him in a lineage of Dutch masters, aligning himself and his work with a certain vision of Dutch heritage and artistic excellence. However, this reference prompts us to consider whose stories are being told and who gets to define national identity. Whose gaze are we seeing this landscape through, and whose stories might be missing? This seemingly simple etching then, invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between art, identity, and historical memory.