Fontein tegen vervallen muur 1796 - 1856

Reinierus Albertus Ludovicus baron van Isendoorn à Blois created this print, “Fountain Against Dilapidated Wall,” at an unknown date, using etching. The print depicts a stone fountain built into a crumbling brick wall in a Dutch landscape. Van Isendoorn à Blois was working in the Netherlands during a period of great social change, which saw the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of a wealthy merchant class. The crumbling structure could be a romantic reflection on the fading of aristocratic power, with nature beginning to claim the wall through the plants that are growing from it. The fountain itself, however, remains functional, reminding us of the ongoing importance of public works even as social norms shift. The distant view of a tidy estate suggests a contrast with the dilapidated scene in the foreground. As historians, we look to sources from the period to understand the relationship between different social classes and how artists engaged with these shifts in the built environment.