Gezicht op Ankeveen 1732

Abraham de Haen the Younger made this pen drawing of Ankeveen during the first half of the 18th century. The sketch shows a quiet village scene with a church spire and a row of trees marking the horizon. Drawings like this served multiple purposes in Dutch society at the time. On the one hand, they helped to document the landscape as the Netherlands was undergoing significant economic changes and urbanization. On the other hand, such drawings were collected in albums by wealthy individuals and were signs of status, of having seen a place and having the means to possess its likeness. The Dutch art market catered to the wealthy merchant classes. The Rijksmuseum also has its own institutional history that informs the work, as it was founded to chart the national identity of the Netherlands through its art. By situating this drawing within the society and institutions that surrounded its creation, we can better understand its role as a cultural and historical artifact.