Landschap met molen 1617 - 1634

Magdalena van de Passe created this print of a 'Landscape with a Mill' sometime in the early 17th century. This seemingly conventional pastoral scene is imbued with the distinct social and economic character of the Dutch Golden Age. The prominence of the windmill speaks to the innovative technologies driving the Dutch economy, crucial for land reclamation and trade. This industrious spirit extends to the figures populating the landscape, each engaged in labor or transit. The ruined tower in the background might serve as a reminder of the recently won independence of the Dutch Republic. Van de Passe, as a woman artist in a male-dominated field, was part of a shift in the institutional structures of art. Further research into the printmaking practices and the role of women in the art world of the time could reveal more about the complex relationship between art, gender, and commerce in the early modern Netherlands.