The Three Cottages 1621 - 1675

Allart van Everdingen created "The Three Cottages" using etching techniques, capturing a scene reflecting 17th-century Dutch life and landscape. During the Dutch Golden Age, there was growing interest in the lives of ordinary people, and the cottages represent the everyday dwellings of the working class. The two figures walking the road bring into focus themes of labor and rural life. You can almost feel the weight of their burdens, both physical and societal, as they trudge along. Van Everdingen's choice to depict these figures gives presence to the working class, whose stories are often missing from art history. The humble scene evokes a sense of simplicity, and provides a glimpse into the complex economic and social structures that defined the period. It offers a quiet, yet poignant commentary on the lives of those who lived off the land.