Weidelandschap met molen 1867 - 1890

Philip Zilcken made this etching, "Weidelandschap met molen" or "Meadow Landscape with Mill," during the late 19th or early 20th century. It shows a typically Dutch scene of flat pastureland bisected by a drainage ditch, with a windmill in the distance. The windmill suggests the Netherlands' long history of managing water through technology. Though romantic in appearance, windmills had practical applications in land reclamation and industry. This image thus captures the cultural landscape created by the Dutch struggle against the sea. Zilcken was part of a generation of Dutch artists who embraced printmaking as a modern art form. Etchings were relatively inexpensive and easily distributed, making art accessible to a wider public. Studying Zilcken's prints alongside agricultural records, engineering drawings, and social histories of the Netherlands gives us greater insight into the relationship between Dutch identity, art, and the built environment.