Studie, mogelijk wolken of zee c. 1825 - 1875

Petrus Johannes Schotel made this study, possibly of clouds or sea, in the Netherlands, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. At this time, the Netherlands had long been a major maritime power, and the imagery of the sea held deep cultural significance. This study is an understated work, but the Rijksmuseum's collecting of studies such as this one speaks to a change in how art was taught, made, and received. The founding of museums and art academies in the Netherlands provided new institutional frameworks for the artistic process. Artists could study the work of old masters, and they were encouraged to make studies after nature. Art was increasingly thought of as something to be studied, preserved, and displayed, not just commissioned by the church or the state. To understand this change in the social role of art, we can look at exhibition catalogs, art criticism, and the biographies of artists and collectors. Only then can we understand the role of art in society.