Landlieden langs de kant van de weg 1623 - 1652

Cornelis van Kittensteyn etched this small print of country folk by the roadside in the mid-17th century. Notice the figures’ posture and placement. They are slumped and still, a static, low mass in a vast landscape. This was the Dutch Golden Age. The Netherlands was a republic, not a monarchy, and the traditional social hierarchies were eroding. Artists began to explore the lives of everyday people, but not always with reverence. The image subtly reflects a changing social landscape in which the lives of ordinary people were now deemed worthy of artistic representation. To understand this work better, we could research Dutch rural life in the 17th century. Examining local archives and historical documents could reveal insights into the economic and social conditions that shaped the lives of these people. This print, like any artwork, is best understood when viewed through the lens of its time.