Groep boerderijen in een landschap 1620

Claes Jansz. Visscher produced this print of farmhouses in a landscape. The image invites us to consider the relationship between the rural population and the land that sustains them. Made in the Netherlands, likely in the early 17th century, it depicts a seemingly idyllic scene of daily life. But this was also a time of significant social and economic change in the Netherlands. The Dutch Golden Age was accompanied by increasing urbanization and the rise of a merchant class. Images of the countryside, like this one, idealized rural life. Visscher reduces any negative connotations with agricultural work, allowing for the development of a national identity rooted in the countryside. To understand the full implications of this artwork, one might consult historical archives, economic studies, and collections of popular imagery to better understand the relationship between rural and urban life during this period.