Wandbord met gestileerd landschap 1895

This is a ceramic wall plate with stylized landscape, made by N.V. Haagsche Plateelfabriek Rozenburg. Ceramics like this were not just decorative, they were statements of cultural identity. As industrialization swept through Europe, pieces like this represented an intentional return to craft and tradition. Looking at the plate, you can see how the romanticism of nature is in tension with the reality of Dutch maritime power. The ship, rendered in stylized form, speaks to global trade and colonial expansion, yet the landscape wraps it in an idealized vision. Such art was part of constructing a national identity, reflecting a complex interplay of pride, nostalgia, and perhaps a deliberate overlooking of the less savory aspects of Dutch history. What feelings does this plate evoke in you? Does it speak of a harmonious relationship with nature, or does it hint at the complexities of a nation's relationship with its past and the wider world?