Gezicht op Workum 1702 - 1725

Jacob Folkema created this print titled 'Gezicht op Workum' sometime between his birth in 1692 and death in 1767. The image offers a panoramic view of Workum, a city in Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. Produced during the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by unprecedented economic prosperity and cultural flourishing, this print encapsulates the era’s complex relationship with land and labor. While the landscape appears idyllic, the figures toiling in the fields remind us of the labor which sustained this prosperity. We see workers harvesting crops, their bent postures conveying the physical demands of agricultural work. This image offers a glimpse into the lives of the working class, whose contributions were essential to the economic success of the Dutch Republic. The composition subtly nods towards the social hierarchies of the time, contrasting the detailed depiction of the town with the more generalized portrayal of the workers in the fields. As you consider this print, reflect on how it invites us to consider the relationship between land, labor, and the social structures that shape our understanding of progress and prosperity.