Emmerik aan de Rijn Possibly 1731 - 1737

"Emmerik aan de Rijn" is a drawing of Emmerik on the Rhine River, created by Abraham de Haen the Younger, likely sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Haen’s detailed drawing, reminiscent of a panoramic photograph, captures a specific locale through the eyes of a privileged observer. During this era, the Dutch Republic was a major maritime power, and topographical art like this often served to document and celebrate Dutch trade and territorial reach. It can be easy to focus on the picturesque details of the architecture and the landscape, but it's important to also consider the lives of the people who lived and worked in these places. What was their experience of the water, their emotional connection to their homeland? This drawing invites us to reflect on how places shape us and how we, in turn, shape them.