Landschap met twee paarden op een heuvel c. 1590 - 1637

Egbert Van Panderen made this print of two horses on a hill sometime in the early 17th century in the Netherlands. Although it looks like a simple pastoral scene, consider the role of the artist in the Dutch Golden Age. The Netherlands was one of the most urbanized societies in Europe at the time, and artists produced landscapes like these not simply to imitate nature, but to provide a sense of national identity, and to remind city dwellers of the beauty of the countryside. The horse, in particular, was a symbol of wealth and status, because only the rich could afford to keep them. To understand this image better, we need to consult historical records and literary sources to discover the meanings that horses had for people in 17th century Netherlands. Art is always rooted in its specific context and an art historian can shed light on those roots.