Landschap met een dorp aan het water 1840 - 1850

Paulus Kerkhof created this small landscape with a village by the water as an etching. Images of villages such as this one reflected the cultural values of the Dutch Republic, which was enjoying a period of economic and cultural expansion. As one of the first countries to develop a capitalist economy in the early modern period, the Netherlands saw the emergence of a powerful merchant class that prized images of their homeland. This etching is a fine example of the landscapes that became popular among the Dutch middle classes. Genre scenes such as this reflected and reinforced the cultural values of this important social group. We can learn more about the rise of the Dutch Republic by looking at archival documents and historical studies. As historians, we recognize that the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.