Landscape 

This landscape drawing was made by Anthonie Waterloo in the Netherlands sometime in the 17th century. It presents us with a view into a forest clearing, with some kind of dwelling to the left. Waterloo specialized in landscape, which was an increasingly popular genre in the Netherlands at the time. The Dutch Golden Age saw the rise of a wealthy merchant class and, with it, a demand for art that reflected their values and interests. Artists like Waterloo catered to this market by producing images of the Dutch countryside that were both realistic and idealized. However, these images were not simply neutral depictions of nature. They also served to promote a particular vision of Dutch identity, one that emphasized the nation's connection to the land and its independence from foreign powers. As historians, we use estate records and other documents to understand more about the artist’s patrons and the kind of social worlds in which images like this one circulated. This kind of research helps to provide context and meaning to the art.