Rivierlandschap met drie boten en een huis op een steiger 1769

Jean Baptist Leprince created this River Landscape with three boats and a house on a scaffolding with pen in brown and gray ink, brush in gray ink, and gray wash. Leprince was known for his genre scenes and landscapes which captured the everyday life and customs of the 18th century. During this period, there was a growing interest in the "exotic" and "picturesque," with artists often idealizing rural settings. Notice the group of people gathered by the boats; they are depicted in a way that seems to romanticize their connection to the land and water. This idyllic portrayal may gloss over the realities of labor and economic struggles faced by these communities. Leprince developed alternative narratives to the traditional representations of the time by focusing on the intimate lives of the everyday person. The artwork's emphasis on the serene and picturesque invites us to reflect on our own relationship with the environment and how we perceive and represent the lives of others.