Schets van een boot op het strand 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this sketch of a boat on the beach with pencil on paper. Mauve was a leading figure in the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists active in the second half of the 19th century. The Hague School artists turned away from the formal academic tradition and instead sought to represent the everyday life of the Netherlands, paying particular attention to the experiences of the working class. This sketch provides a glimpse into the coastal communities that were central to the Dutch economy and culture. The scene appears simple and uncontrived, but consider how Mauve has chosen to depict labor. Is he romanticizing the lives of the fishermen or realistically portraying them? As art historians, we can look into archives to better understand the social circumstances in which Mauve was working, and the artistic institutions that shaped his practice. By considering such contexts, we can gain a better understanding of the cultural values that this image conveys.