Zie, leezer! hier verscheidenheid / Van bouwmans nutten arrebeid, [(...)] 1811 - 1829

This print was made by Gerrit Oortman in the Netherlands, sometime around the turn of the 19th century. It's a reminder that artistic creations are always embedded in the social fabric of their time. This piece depicts agricultural labor in a series of vignettes. Visual codes in the print illustrate the social hierarchy and division of labor characteristic of the rural Dutch economy. The verses accompanying each scene offer moralizing lessons about the value of hard work and patience. It also suggests that the agricultural cycle is part of a divinely ordained order. Understanding this print requires understanding the economic and social structures of the Netherlands at this time. Archival records and historical studies of Dutch agriculture can help reveal the social and institutional context that shaped both the production and reception of such images. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.