Gezicht op Meppel 1858

Johann Gabriel Friedrich Poppel created this print called "Gezicht op Meppel," whose exact date remains unknown, using etching and burin. Poppel, working in the 19th century, captured a scene of Meppel, reflecting the transformations of the Netherlands during a period of significant social and economic change. Here, the architecture and figures by the water’s edge aren’t just part of the landscape; they represent the intersections of daily life and labor. We see suggestions of gender roles in the figures depicted. What can this tell us about women’s participation in the public sphere at the time? The waterways also tell a story about trade and transport. The print invites us to consider how these elements shaped the town’s identity and its connection to broader networks of exchange. As you look at this piece, consider how it prompts questions about progress, and community, and our relationship to the places we inhabit.