Drinkende koe in landschap met twee boerderijen 1830 - 1910

Lambert Jacquelart made this etching of a “Drinking Cow in a Landscape with Two Farms” in the Netherlands sometime in the 19th century. At this time, the Dutch countryside was undergoing significant transformations due to agricultural reforms and industrialization, leading to debates about the value of rural life versus urban progress. Jacquelart’s image participates in these debates. With visual codes such as a wide open landscape and traditional thatched roofed farm houses, the scene evokes a sense of pastoral calm, while the farmer walking along the path reminds us of the human element within this landscape. Interestingly, landscape art in the Netherlands had become a tool for national identity. The genre gained popularity during the Dutch Golden Age, when the Netherlands was one of Europe’s major economic and artistic powers, and continued to be important during the 19th century. Art historians consult a range of documentary sources in their research, including exhibition reviews, artists' correspondence, and institutional records to better understand the complex social dynamics that shaped the production and reception of art.