Twee visserboten op een rivier 1800 - 1841

Joannes Bemme created this print, Two Fishing Boats on a River, sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Dutch landscape tradition to which it belongs was long established by this time. Notice how the image is organized around a contrast between open space and dense foliage. This organization reflects the cultural importance of landscape to Dutch national identity. In the 17th century, landscape painting served as a proxy for national identity during a period when the Dutch Republic lacked a strong central government or a royal court to commission art that might unite the nation. By Bemme's time, landscape imagery was still deeply associated with the Dutch sense of self. To understand more, we could consult historical surveys of Dutch art and culture, as well as studies of the art market and the role of institutions like the Rijksmuseum in shaping perceptions of national identity.